Figures just released by AENA – the Spanish airport authority – and the Cabildo de Lanzarote reveal that the number of foreign tourists arriving on flights to Lanzarote fell by 26.15% last month. As the economic crisis continues to bite deep into Lanzarote´s tourism industry.
Overall, a total of 89,446 visitors enjoyed a holiday in Lanzarote in May, compared to 121,113 tourists in the same month last year. And so far the island has welcomed 16.91% fewer holiday makers versus the same five month period in 2008. Down from 699,451 arrivals to 581,164 – equating to 118,287 less tourist visits.
All national markets continue to register large declines. With the British market, Lanzarote´s largest, down by 18.76% for the year to date across the same time period. As just 48,152 holidaymakers from the UK visited Lanzarote last month.
German tourist numbers are now down by 12.73% for the year to date whilst visitor numbers from Eire have dropped by 14.51% across the same period. With large falls recorded across all other key markets such as the Scandinavian countries.
These latest figures follow hard on the heels of the recent release of information from ASOLAN, the islands hoteliers association, which revealed a record drop in hotel occupancy last month to just 49.1%. Down 22.35% versus May 2008 and the lowest figure ever recorded in over forty years of island tourism.
According to the AENA statistics Lanzarote is one of the worst hit airports in Spain, with only Almeria (down 28.7%) and Vitoria (down 36.9%) suffering bigger drops in passenger numbers last month.
