Latest figures from government data reveal an encouraging increase in the number of visitors to the Canary Islands.
The statistics for June show that almost three quarters of a million visitors flocked to the islands last month, a 6.8% increase on the same time last year.
While there has been a significant drop in the number of holidaymakers coming from mainland Spain, 18% overall, the recovery of the British and German market has more than made up for it. The number of foreign visitors is up by 15.9% on last year's figures, with 144,359 visitors coming from Spain and 579,330 coming from the rest of the world.
The Canary Islands were the most popular destination for foreign visitors travelling to Spain as the average increase across the islands registered at 11%.
So far this year, international tourist numbers are around 4,144,323 for the Canary Islands. Figures show that there is a 7.6% rise in the number of German tourists, while the number of British visitors has increased by a healthy 24.2%. These figures suggest the tendency of a recovery in these essential markets.
The Canary Island's Tourist Chief, Rita Martin, described the increase in foreign visitors as "extremely important", in particular the recovery of the British market which, she suggests, confirms the ongoing improvement in the sector.
The figures reveal that two thirds of tourists, over 68%, stayed in hotel accommodation, up by 9.3% on last year and package tours increased by 10.6% although, at 1.8 million, they were far outnumberd by the 3.4 million who organised their own travel and accommodation.
