Natalie Preddie spent 13 to 19 October on Gran Canaria with one of her children, aged six. Organised with the OET in Toronto, the visit focused on family travel and sustainability and featured three hotel bases.
The trip crossed Gran Canaria, starting in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, passing through the mountain landscape of Cruz de Tejeda and ending in the island’s south. Tourism of Gran Canaria hosted Canadian journalist Natalie Preddie from 13 to 19 October on a press trip organised with the Oficina Española de Turismo (OET) de Toronto.
Preddie travelled with one of her children, aged six. The programme showed how families could combine different experiences during one stay, while highlighting the destination’s safety and activities for different ages. Maspalomas and Playa del Inglés, in the south, are among Gran Canaria’s established family-tourism areas, known for their beaches and the Maspalomas Dunes.
Her visit also gave the island a chance to reach readers and viewers in Canada. Preddie has worked with The Globe and Mail and Travel + Leisure; The Washington Post has also published her work. She shares travel recommendations through television and digital platforms, often covering sustainability and family travel.
The itinerary took in heritage sites, including archaeological locations, alongside local culture and traditions. It also featured wine and food, mountain scenery, hiking and sky observation. In southern Gran Canaria, the programme covered natural areas as well as coastal sites. RUSSPAIN has separately covered the Cáceres excavation report; Preddie’s programme focused on Gran Canaria.
The visit took place against the backdrop of a large tourism market across the Canary Islands. Figures attributed to the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria and reported by Huffington Post España put 2025 visitor numbers above 18.4 million, with tourism spending of €23.185 billion. Visitor numbers rose 3.48% and spending increased 3.91% that year. Tourism-related employment reached 232,338 workers.
Accommodation provided three distinct bases. Santa Catalina, a Royal Hideaway Hotel, hosted the first stage in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The stay then moved to Parador de Cruz de Tejeda, set in the island’s mountain landscape.
Seaside Palm Beach hosted the final part of the trip. The hotel is known for its architecture and location beside the Maspalomas Dunes, giving Preddie a base for exploring tourist attractions, including natural and cultural sites in the south. Canary Islands Statistics Institute (ISTAC) figures for southern Gran Canaria put accommodation occupancy at 80.23% in August 2026, following 75.73% in July and 62.49% in June. August 2025 occupancy was 81.70%.
Separate ISTAC figures for the Canary Islands as a whole, not Gran Canaria specifically, recorded €486 million in accommodation turnover in September 2026. Occupancy stood at 82.7%, with 7.8 million overnight stays. The same report recorded 76,712 people employed in hotels and apartments. Overnight stays were down 1% year over year, while accommodation turnover was up 7.9%.
