The good weather recorded in recent months encourages Spaniards to anticipate their reservations
MADRID, 16 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -
The extraordinary evolution of reservations in recent weeks has led many Spanish hotel companies to bring forward the opening of their holiday hotels to the end of March, coinciding with Easter, which this year brings its dates forward compared to previous years. As this is a smaller vacation than others in the year, advance notice becomes a priority among travelers.
The early opening of hotel establishments will serve to get them 'ready' for the summer in which new record occupancy levels are expected to be reached, supported by the progressive recovery of the large European markets. This could lead Spanish tourism to reach new ceilings in both income and number of visitors (85 million in 2023) in this so-called 'revenge tourism' after the pandemic.
A report from the company Affilired a few days ago estimated the percentage of advance reservations detected in the Spanish issuing market at 31%, which was justified by a return to confidence on the part of travelers and a gradual return to planning and advance booking habits.
A figure in line with that offered by Travelgate, which states that 32.43% of the reservations made last week were to be enjoyed in more than three months, which shows the level of anticipation of Spanish tourists also for the summer. .
And all this despite the increase in prices that has occurred as a result of inflation that reaches up to 15% on the most critical dates and in the most in-demand destinations, according to SiteMinder.
The Meliá hotel company already pointed out in its annual results that some hotels that "historically closed in winter" have not done so this year, a factor that adds to the forecast of bringing forward the opening of Balearic hotels for the second consecutive year at the end of the year. month of March.
The good weather, together with an Easter that this year is earlier than others, has led the Mallorcan hotel company to bring forward the opening of its hotels, especially those on the islands, to the end of this month of March.
The same thing has happened to another of the large Spanish hotel companies such as Riu, which, taking advantage of the factor of anticipation of Easter, has proceeded to open earlier some hotels that close for the season. Thus, they will open more or less a week before the holidays, this year specifically on March 22.
The good progress of reservations with strong growth for months in the main Spanish tourist destinations, both urban and vacation, has encouraged many hotel chains and independent hotels on the Mediterranean coast to bring forward the opening of their establishments in 2024.
According to the Smart Observatory prepared by the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations (Cehat), advance reservations in Spanish tourist accommodation have grown significantly this year and this despite the fact that inflation has raised prices between 4 and 6% . The companies' forecasts show promising prospects for the next three months, with occupancy in the portfolio of 45% (5.7 percentage points above 2023).
With all this, the improvement in advance reservations together with the proximity of Holy Week has led to a growth in occupancy in Spain of 13% compared to 2023, especially highlighting the good results on the islands and coasts.
An example could be the city of Calviá, which anticipates that a total of 149 tourist establishments of the 230 in this destination will already be open in the month of March. According to the city council of this Majorcan municipality, it is a reality that "the tourist offer in Calvià is moving towards deseasonalization."
Thus, in the Palmanova and Magaluf area, more than half of the hotels are expected to be open by the end of March. Almost half of the municipality's tourist places are concentrated in these two areas.
The Tourism Board already anticipated that occupancy this Easter would be around 70% in the main cities, which could represent the "best quarter in the history of Spanish tourism." On holidays, from Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday, this occupancy percentage could approach 90%.
For the hotel company Barceló, the good evolution of advance sales suggests that 2024 will once again be a great year for national tourism.
And Spain has positioned itself as the main refuge destination for many European tourists, which is why both national and foreign visitors have been forced to advance their reservations in order to get the best offers in their favorite destinations.
The latest data recorded by travel agencies such as Destinia show a 35% increase in reservations for Easter compared to the previous year. This growth is mainly attributed to national tourism (63%), although the participation of foreign tourists is also notable, representing 28% of total reservations.
According to the travel agency, the reservation has been made about 44 days in advance and the good weather recorded in recent months has encouraged Spaniards to anticipate their reservations.
Easter has traditionally been a last-minute booking date due to the possibility of cold and rain, but the spring temperatures recorded since the beginning of the year have made Spanish travelers more positive and have booked these next holidays further in advance.
