UK visitors to Tenerife up by 8% compared with 2019, as Britons start to spend more

Tenerife welcomed 8% more visitors from the UK from January to August this year compared with 2019.

From January to August 2023 there were 1.6 million visitors from the UK to Tenerife, tourism councillor and vice-president of the Tenerife Island Government Lope Afonso told Travel Weekly at WTM on Monday.

“We expect tourism numbers to keep increasing. We are also seeing that the quality of visitor from the UK is slightly better and they are spending a bit more money in the destination,” said Afonso.

The country continues to prioritise “quality” tourists, while its focus for the coming year remains on sports, culture, lifestyle, gastronomy and nature, as it seeks to position itself as a destination with much more beyond its sunshine and beaches.

“One of the key areas is gastronomy and the local produce. We now have seven Michelin stars on the island – and those Michelin stars attract a different sort of clientele as well. We have our position as a warm-climate destination but we want to increase the profile.”

Alfonso added that the trade remains a key part of its strategy.

“The UK trade is very important to Tenerife and we like to come to WTM to learn about what the trade thinks. The main two key things we want to improve are air connectivity, as well as talking to tour operators about their products, and what they can offer in Tenerife,” he said.