Gay tourism in the Canary Islands is worth over 1 billion dollars each year.
With most of the high profile focus on southern Gran Canaria all of the Canary islands benefit from two broad categories of Gay and Lesbian tourists.
The short term high spending Gay visitors who spend on average over $200 each day in addition to the hotel and flight.
The longer term generally more senior and elderly Gay communities from across Europe who visit and rent for between 3 to 6 months to enjoy the warm sunshine winter seasons that make places like playa del ingles so popular.
author: John Mulkearns
Official estimates vary from 6 to 10% annually of the tourist visitor community across Gran Canaria comprise of LBGT society, however the longer term more senior LBGT community who visit and rent across all of these Islands for the winter season are not included in the LBGT Tourist statistics.
Whilst pledging continuing and growing support a representative of the Canary Island government commented that 10% of the annual tourism that comes to Great Canary fall into the LBGT community, usually of 30-50-year-olds.
With daily average daily spending of €177 euros (not including the flight or hotel costs) Gran Canaria not only leads all of the Islands but also all of Spain with Barcelona in a distant second position with average daily spending of the LBGT members at €143.
In nearly all cases Gay tourists spend anywhere from 20% to 30% more than the average non Gay visitor.
The original LBGT baby boom community, many of who are in the 50-75 year old category rent private accommodation across all of the Canary Islands for an average of 4 months each year.
With a slightly higher average percentage of long term holiday makers belonging to the LBGT community (13%) this group tends to be couples each of whom spend €63 a day ( including accommodation ) and collectively account for over three hundred and thirty million euros annually (€333,250,000).
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Gran Canarias Gay Tourists spend 59.5% more than average tourist spends