SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE/MADRID Nov. 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Canary Islands welcomed a total of 12.4 million international visitors during the first ten months of the year, reflecting a 10% increase compared to the same timeframe in the previous year, amounting to 13.7% of the national market share, as disclosed by Turespaña on Monday.
Tenerife South Airport led the way with five million passengers, marking a 12.4% rise, followed by Gran Canaria with 3.1 million (+7.8%) and Lanzarote, which recorded 2.4 million until October (+8.9%).
Budget airlines accounted for 7.8 million international passengers, a growth of 13.8%, while traditional carriers served 4.6 million (+4.3%).
The islands ranked as the fourth autonomous community with the highest number of international passengers, trailing behind Madrid, Catalonia, and the Balearic Islands.
In the month of October alone, the archipelago received 1.3 million passengers, representing a 7.7% increase.
On a national scale, Spain welcomed a total of 91.5 million international passengers until October, witnessing an 11.3% rise compared to the same period in 2023, bolstered by the strong performance from select Ibero-American countries, Canada, China, and the United Arab Emirates.
October sustained the positive trend observed in the first nine months of the year, with an increase of 8.5% in the number of international air travellers compared to the same month in 2023, reaching 9.8 million.
Of these nearly 9.8 million, 62.2% originated from within the European Union, reflecting an 8% increase, while the flow from the rest of the world, which constituted the remaining 42.6%, saw a rise of 9.1%.
As seen in the first three quarters of the year, October also experienced growth in the number of passengers travelling to Spain from all main origin markets in relation to the same month in 2023.
In addition, October saw a consolidation of the trend towards market diversification, highlighted by an increase in travellers from Ibero-American nations (22% from Brazil and 18.5% from Colombia), Canada (21% increase), China (67% more), and the United Arab Emirates (28.6%).
UNITED KINGDOM EXCEEDS 2.1 MILLION TRAVELLERS
In terms of traditional markets, the United Kingdom, with 2.1 million international passengers, accounted for 21.9% of the total arrivals to Spain in October, registering a year-on-year increase of 6.3%.
The Canary Islands were the primary benefactor, welcoming an additional 42,000 travellers this month. 82.1% of British passengers opted for budget airlines, with the United Kingdom leading in arrivals via these carriers, contributing 28.9% of the total, an increase of 6.1% year-on-year. The rise in traditional companies was slightly higher, at 7.1%.
Additionally, passenger arrivals from Germany reached 1.5 million in October (15.2% of the total), marking a 9.8% increase compared to October 2023. German travellers mainly flocked to the Balearic Islands (42.7%). 46.8% of German passengers travelled with traditional airlines, making this market the largest for arrivals on these carriers (18.8% of the total with a rise of 5.5%).
9.8% of the passenger flow recorded in October originated from Italy (nearly one million travellers), showcasing a year-on-year growth of 11.4%, which particularly benefitted Catalonia and the Community of Madrid (together they welcomed 58.2% of the travellers).
The other principal communities welcomed more Italian passengers compared to the previous year, with the exception of the Balearic Islands. Significant interannual increases of over 25% were noted in Andalusia and the Canary Islands. Among Italian travellers, the preference for low-cost airlines (82.3%) outweighed traditional carriers.
France accounted for 7.7% of total passengers in October (748,790 travellers), reflecting a 3.9% increase, which predominantly favoured the Community of Madrid and Catalonia, accounting for over 49% of arrivals from the neighbouring country.
The increase in Catalonia was particularly notable, with 19,985 additional passengers this month. 72.1% of French passengers utilised a CBC for their flights, experiencing a year-on-year growth of 3.7%.
Lastly, 4.9% of the total travellers arrived from the Netherlands (just under half a million). This market experienced a growth of 3.7% in October, with the Valencian Community, Catalonia, and Andalusia as the primary destinations, exceeding 90,000 travellers across the three.
Among the increases, Andalusia stood out with a notable growth in arrivals from this market of 15.5%. The vast majority of travellers from the Netherlands (73.8%) also selected budget airlines for their flights, which represents a rise of 4.7%.
ANDALUSIA AND VALENCIA IN THE LEAD
The six main receiving communities accounted for 97% of arrivals and all experienced increases in the tenth month of the year. Andalusia recorded the highest year-on-year increase at 11.4%, followed closely by Valencia at 10.8%; the most modest, in single digits, was the Community of Madrid with 7.5%.
The Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport welcomed the highest number of arrivals in October, with 2.09 million, followed by Barcelona with 1.82 million, and Palma with 1.28 million. The largest year-on-year increase, as seen in recent months, was observed at the Alicante airport, which reported a 13.8% rise compared to the data from October 2023.
