The island of volcanoes has experienced a cooling in the acceptance of this tax surcharge, losing its leadership position in favor of the western islands, as reflected in the latest Survey of Socioeconomic Habits and Confidence (ECOSOC) by the Canary Islands Institute of Statistics (ISTAC), corresponding to the second quarter of 2026,
Specifically, the percentage of residents in Lanzarote aged 18 and over who believe that tourists should pay a fee for each night of stay has fallen to 46.5%, which represents a decrease of 5.3 points compared to the 51.8% registered in the same study in 2024.
The rest of the island's population is divided between 19.7% who openly oppose it, 20.2% who express doubts about the measure, and 13.6% who prefer not to take a stance. The perception of tourism is asked about every two years.
The regional paradox: Tenerife rises nine points and pushes the autonomous average
Lanzarote's evolution contrasts notably with what happened in the overall total for the Canary Islands, where support for tourists paying the fee has grown by more than six points in two years, going from 43.3% in 2024 to 49.7% in 2026.
This regional push is due to the notable increase registered in Tenerife, where support is close to 60% of the population (rising from 49% to 58% island-wide), as well as the significant increases experienced in La Palma (from 33.7% to 47.3%) or Gran Canaria (from 35.8% to 43.3%).
Conversely, in addition to Lanzarote, Fuerteventura (39.2%) and La Gomera (46.3%) have also experienced setbacks in the defense of this tax.
The setback in Fuerteventura (-8.7 points) has been greater than in Lanzarote (-5.3 points). However, Lanzarote stands out because it is the only island where support goes from being a majority (more than 50%) to a minority (46.5%).
Lanzarote residents' predisposition to pay it on their Canary Islands holidays plummets
Where the change in the mentality of Lanzarote society is most pronounced is in one's own pocket. In 2024, Lanzarote held an island singularity: it was the only island in the Canary Islands where more than half of its residents (54.4%) stated they were willing to pay the tourist tax personally if they were on vacation in accommodations in the archipelago.
Two years later, this willingness has fallen drastically by 12.2 percentage points, standing at 42.2%, and surpassed by the 48.7% of Lanzarote residents who state they would not be willing to pay it if they vacationed within the islands.
This resistance to assuming the cost in domestic tourism aligns with the overwhelmingly majority opinion on the island that the native population should be exempt from this tax figure: 85.5% of Lanzaroteans demand that residents in the Canary Islands do not pay the tax during their holidays in the archipelago.
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