Comfort Comes First: What Really Influences Tourists When Choosing Transport in Lanzarote?
For many visitors arriving in Lanzarote, one of the first decisions after landing is how they’ll get around the island. A new survey from the Canary Islands Institute of Statistics (ISTAC) provides an interesting insight into what really matters to tourists when choosing transport during their holiday.
The findings suggest that while cost is still important, comfort is now the biggest deciding factor for most visitors staying in Lanzarote and across the Canary Islands.
Comfort Beats Price
According to the latest ISTAC Tourist Spending Survey covering the second quarter of 2026, significantly more visitors chose transport based on comfort rather than simply selecting the cheapest option.
This reflects the way many tourists now travel. After arriving from long international flights, visitors often value convenience, flexibility and ease of travel more than saving a few euros.
Car Hire Remains the Most Popular Choice
It’s perhaps no surprise that rental cars remain the preferred way of exploring Lanzarote.
Hiring a car allows visitors to discover places well beyond the main resorts, including attractions such as:
- Timanfaya National Park
- El Golfo
- Mirador del Río
- Los Hervideros
- La Geria wine region
- Famara Beach
- The villages of Haría and Yaiza
For many tourists, having their own vehicle offers complete freedom to explore the island at their own pace without relying on bus timetables or organised excursions.
Public Transport Still Faces Challenges
Although Lanzarote’s public bus network connects many of the island’s towns and resorts, the survey shows that some visitors continue to experience difficulties.
Just over 6% of tourists reported transport-related problems during their stay in the Canary Islands.
The most common complaints included:
- Confusing or limited transport information
- Bus timetables that didn’t meet their needs
- Delays or cancellations
- Concerns over the organisation and punctuality of some services
While the majority of visitors experienced no major issues, the findings highlight areas where public transport could continue to improve for international tourists.
Why Are People Visiting Lanzarote?
The research also provides a snapshot of why visitors choose the Canary Islands.
Around 92% travelled primarily for holidays, leisure and relaxation, while only a small percentage visited for business purposes. Others travelled to visit family and friends, study or for health-related reasons.
Hotels Continue to Lead Accommodation Choices
Hotels remain the most popular accommodation option, accounting for almost 60% of stays.
Apartments continue to attract a significant number of visitors, while others prefer private holiday rentals, staying with family or friends, or using their own accommodation.
Visitors Continue to Return
One particularly encouraging statistic for Lanzarote’s tourism industry is visitor loyalty.
More than seven out of every ten tourists surveyed had visited the Canary Islands before, demonstrating the region’s strong appeal as a repeat holiday destination.
Overall visitor satisfaction also remains extremely high, with the Canary Islands receiving an average rating of 8.8 out of 10 from tourists surveyed.
Average Holiday Length
The survey found that the average visitor spends around 8.4 days in the Canary Islands.
Swiss visitors stayed the longest on average, while domestic Spanish visitors tended to take shorter breaks.
What This Means for Lanzarote
The latest figures reinforce something many businesses on the island already recognise — today’s visitors increasingly value quality, convenience and memorable experiences over simply finding the cheapest option.
Whether it’s choosing a comfortable hire car, booking quality accommodation or enjoying hassle-free travel around the island, tourists appear willing to prioritise comfort when planning their holiday.
For Lanzarote’s tourism sector, that represents a positive opportunity to continue investing in visitor experience while maintaining the island’s reputation as one of Europe’s favourite year-round holiday destinations.
