Canary Islands receive 1.6 million international air passengers in March, up 1.5% according to Turespaña

Canary Islands welcomed 1,605,744 international air passengers in March, a 1.5 % increase compared with the same month last year. For the year‑to‑date 2026, the archipelago has already received 4,565,383 foreign tourists, 1.8 % more than in the same period of 2025, according to data released today by Turespaña.

Across Spain, March saw a total of 8.6 million international air passengers, marking a 6.6 % rise over the previous year.

• 85.7 % of all arrivals came from Europe, up 7.3 %.
• 9.5 % arrived from the Americas, up 7.6 %.
• Asia accounted for 1.7 % of arrivals but fell sharply by ‑36.3 %.

Low‑cost carriers (CBC) attracted 60 % of travelers, a +9.7 % increase, while traditional airlines carried the remaining 40 %, rising only +2.4 %.

From January to March, Spain recorded 22.4 million international passengers, 5.8 % more than the same period in 2025—equivalent to 1.2 million additional arrivals.

In March, most key markets posted higher arrival numbers, except France. Notable year‑on‑year gains came from Poland, Ireland, and a positive trend from the United States.

Among diversified markets, arrivals rose from China, South Korea, and Brazil, while UAE, Qatar, and Israel saw declines due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

United Kingdom Generates Almost 21 % of Traffic

The United Kingdom contributed roughly 1.8 million international passengers, representing 20.8 % of Spain’s total arrivals and posting a 10.9 % year‑on‑year increase.

• The Canary Islands were the top destination for British travelers, capturing 34.2 % of that market, followed by the Valencian Community (18 %) and Andalusia (15.9 %).
• All autonomous communities saw passenger growth except Galicia and the Principality of Asturias, which suffered notable losses.

Germany sent 1.1 million passengers (13.2 % of the total), rebounding with a 32 % year‑on‑year rise, driven largely by increases in the Balearic Islands and Andalusia. The Canary Islands remained Germany’s main destination (29.5 % share) despite a ‑2.4 % inter‑annual decline. The Community of Madrid and the Basque Country also recorded drops.

Italy accounted for 10.5 % of March arrivals (896,805 passengers), up 5 % year‑on‑year, benefiting most regions—especially the Valencian Community, which added over 18,000 travelers. Only Cantabria and the Canary Islands saw declines.

The main recipients of Italian visitors were Catalonia and the Community of Madrid, together representing 58.3 % of arrivals.

France contributed 6.7 % of total passengers but experienced a ‑1.4 % year‑on‑year contraction in March. The Community of Madrid captured 30.1 % of French arrivals, while Catalonia took 26.1 %, both regions seeing a drop of roughly ‑6 %.

Conversely, Andalusia, Galicia, and the Balearic Islands increased international arrivals compared with the previous year, with Andalusia adding more than 6,000 visitors.

Dutch passengers represented 4.5 % of the total, showing a modest +0.6 % recovery in March, largely thanks to a surge of 6,683 extra arrivals in Andalusia. The Basque Country, Community of Madrid, and Catalonia experienced declines. Their primary destinations were Andalusia and the Valencian Community, with shares of 22.1 % and 21.3 %, respectively.

Canary Islands with the Highest Increase

In March, the six leading autonomous communities captured 97.5 % of all arrivals, all posting growth. The Canary Islands recorded the smallest rise, 1.5 %.

• The Community of Madrid led with 25.4 % of total passengers, followed by Catalonia (20.3 %) and the Canary Islands (18.7 %).
• Traditional airline traffic was dominated by the Community of Madrid (48.7 % share, up 3.7 %). Among low‑cost carriers, Catalonia was the primary recipient, holding 24.4 % of that segment and growing 10.3 %.

Regarding airports, Adolfo Suárez Madrid‑Barajas topped the list with 2.1 million passengers (both traditional and low‑cost), a 3.8 % increase. The airport with the strongest year‑on‑year growth was Seville, up 15.9 %.