The Canary Islands have emerged as the driving force behind Spain's tourism recovery last year, according to the Impactur 2022 study jointly conducted by the regional government and the Alliance for Tourism Excellence (Exceltur).
The archipelago experienced a remarkable resurgence, with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) linked to the tourism sector reaching 35.5% of the economy, totalling €16.9 billion. This surpassed pre-pandemic levels, marking a historic high in economic impact.
Presenting the findings in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Vice President of the Canarian Government, Manuel Domínguez, along with the Minister of Tourism and Employment, Jessica de León, and the Executive Vice President of Exceltur, José Luis Zoreda, highlighted the exceptional performance in tourism activities.
The report underscores the significant role of the tourism sector in the Canary Islands, where recovery in 2022 exceeded the Spanish average by 9.3%, compared to 2.2% nationally. Domínguez emphasized that Canarias "has demonstrated its strength and resilience."
Moreover, Domínguez noted that the heightened economic activity in tourism occurred amid narrow profit margins due to increased operational costs in 2022. Notably, energy costs rose by 28.9%, fuel by 27.7%, supplies by 17.1%, and wages by 19.8%. This situation, according to the Minister of Economy and Industry, underlines "the ongoing commitment of businesses to consolidate the recovery of their activity, within the geopolitical context of the war in Ukraine and the economic challenges of a slowdown and spiralling inflation."
De León attributed this positive trend to "families' savings during the pandemic, a strong desire to travel, and the international positioning of our destination, the result of intensive efforts by the tourist board." She added that factors such as the interest of international and national operators, high connectivity, and the loyalty of the Spanish market played a crucial role.
The Minister pointed out that the recovery of international demand in 2022 "relied less on the influx of visitors, with levels similar to pre-pandemic times, and more on the higher average daily spending, reaching €98.70, well above the €84.20 of 2019."
Tourism accounted for 39.7% of employment in the Canary Islands, equivalent to 344,358 jobs, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. For every €100 generated directly, 44.90 are contributed to other sectors, and for every 100 jobs in direct contact with tourists, 38 are generated indirectly in other areas. Taxes contributed €3.4 billion in the period analysed, representing a 17.5% increase.
