More Holidaymakers Are Choosing Hotels in the Canary Islands
Lanzarote continues to prove its popularity with holidaymakers, as new tourism figures show strong demand for hotel accommodation across the Canary Islands.
The latest figures for July 2026 reveal that more than one million people stayed in hotels across the Canary Islands during the month, highlighting the continued strength of the islands as a major European holiday destination.
According to data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), 1,058,995 travellers stayed in Canary Islands hotels in July, compared with 999,568 in July 2025. That’s an increase of almost 60,000 hotel guests in just one year.
Hotel overnight stays also increased, reaching 6.78 million nights during July. This was 228,743 more nights than in July 2025, representing growth of around 3.5%.
Lanzarote remains one of the Canary Islands’ busiest destinations
For anyone living in or visiting Lanzarote, perhaps the most interesting part of the latest statistics is the island’s occupancy performance.
Lanzarote recorded an 80.92% occupancy rate across available accommodation places in July, with occupancy of available rooms reaching 82.92%. The average hotel stay on the island was around 7.1 nights.
Separate figures from the Canary Islands Statistics Institute also identified Lanzarote as the island with the highest accommodation occupancy rate during July when hotels and other tourist accommodation are considered.
That is significant for an island where tourism plays such an important role in the local economy.
More than just overseas visitors
Although the Canary Islands are particularly popular with international holidaymakers, the latest figures show that the growth isn’t coming exclusively from overseas.
Of the more than 1.05 million hotel guests recorded across the islands in July, 748,524 were international visitors, while 310,471 were residents of Spain.
The UK remains one of the most important international markets for Canary Islands tourism, with British visitors accounting for the largest share of non-resident hotel overnight stays nationally. Germany was the second-largest market.
For Lanzarote tourism, the continued popularity among British and other European visitors is particularly important, with the island’s beaches, year-round climate, volcanic landscapes and extensive choice of resorts helping to maintain demand throughout the year.
Holidaymakers are staying for around a week
Interestingly, while the number of people staying in Canary Islands hotels increased, the average length of a hotel stay edged down slightly.
Visitors spent an average of 6.4 nights in Canary Islands hotels during July, compared with 6.56 nights during the same month of 2025.
Lanzarote performed slightly above that average, with the average hotel stay on the island reaching approximately 7.1 nights.
For local businesses, that represents plenty of opportunities to attract visitors beyond their hotel or resort – from restaurants and bars to excursions, boat trips, water sports, attractions and local experiences.
Tourism is still big business for the islands
The latest figures also demonstrate just how important the Canary Islands tourism industry remains.
ISTAC reported that hotels and apartments across the islands generated approximately €507 million in revenue during July 2026, an increase of 5.8% compared with July 2025. There were also 76,719 jobs connected with tourist accommodation during the month.
Hotel prices have also risen. Nationally, the INE recorded a 5.9% annual increase in the Hotel Price Index in July, while the average amount charged per occupied hotel room in Spain reached €156.90.
So while visitors continue to arrive in large numbers, they are also spending more on accommodation.
What does this mean for Lanzarote?
For Lanzarote residents, the figures provide another indication of how busy the island’s tourism sector remains.
For visitors planning a holiday in Lanzarote, meanwhile, the high occupancy figures are a useful reminder that popular periods can see hotels and resorts fill up quickly.
The island continues to offer everything from large family-friendly hotels and all-inclusive resorts to smaller boutique accommodation and apartment complexes. With demand remaining strong, booking ahead can be particularly worthwhile for travellers looking for specific resorts, dates or room types.
And for local businesses, a steady flow of visitors staying for around a week creates opportunities to encourage tourists to explore more of what Lanzarote has to offer away from their accommodation.
Lanzarote remains a favourite
The latest statistics don’t suggest that the Canary Islands’ appeal is disappearing any time soon.
Instead, Canary Islands tourism continues to attract more than a million hotel guests during the summer, while Lanzarote remains one of the archipelago’s strongest-performing destinations for accommodation occupancy.
For an island built around tourism, those numbers are certainly worth watching.
And for those of us who live here, there’s something quite remarkable about seeing just how many people continue to choose Lanzarote for their holiday in the Canary Islands.
