The Canary Islands have displaced Catalonia as the region with the highest tourist spending on non-essential purchases, concentrating 18% of the national total. In 2025, tourist spending in Spain grew by 7% to 134,743 million euros. In the archipelago, the sector contributed 23,000 million euros to the local economy, with fashion and accessories leading spending at 87%.
The Canarian model bets on quality over digital saturation 🏝️
The shift towards higher value-added tourism requires robust technological infrastructures. The Canary Islands are developing real-time data analysis platforms to monitor visitor flows and adjust offers. Artificial intelligence systems are being implemented to segment spending profiles, prioritizing those who invest in local fashion over mass consumption. This aims to reduce the pressure of 17 million annual visitors without sacrificing economic growth.
Tourists spend on t-shirts while islanders flee from queues 😅
While visitors sweep through accessory sales, Canarians juggle to cross the street without bumping into a selfie. 23,000 million euros sounds good, but good luck finding a spot on the beach to celebrate it. At least, if fashion continues to account for 87% of spending, tourists will at least be well-dressed while waiting for the bus.