Travel euphoria despite inflation: Tourist bookings for the bridge outpace those before the pandemic

Rising prices and loss of purchasing power have been a major concern for the tourism sector in the face of the winter season that begins with the long weekend in December. But the Many bookings for the next few days They dispel any doubt about the desire and intentions of the Spaniards to travel.

reservations on macrobridge From the constitution and already immaculate up to 24% higher than that recorded in 2019, before the outbreak of the epidemic, according to data from the online platform Destinia.com. And in the last moments, although there are none With the same intensity as that recorded on All Saints Bridgemaking this number up by two points from last week.

The numbers also appear restoration of Spanish excursions abroad, That this bridge will exceed what it was three years ago by 32%, with short trips of 3 or 4 days, with the large cities of Portugal, France and Italy as preferred destinations.

And all this at average prices per person and night. Up to 21% more expensive than then. However, they highlighted from Destinia that they hardly changed in comparison year on year, because at the end of 2021 the sector had already changed.Start increasing it to recover from the epidemic.

With regard to transportation, the massive influx of displacements expected next week, with two holidays on Tuesday and Thursday, has resulted in RENFE increases its train offering by 1.5 million seats. For their part, airlines have scheduled more than 44,300 flights at Spanish airports in the Aena network, a number close to the number registered three years ago and 20% more than flights scheduled for last year.

Madrid, Barcelona and Seville are some of the favorite destinations for travelers in the next few days, according to the online booking platform. In the case of the Spanish capital, although it is still a favorite place to combine shopping with Christmas decorations, its weight has decreased slightly from 11% to 10% of bookings, at the expense of Barcelona, ​​which rose this year to 6%, compared to the previous 4%.

However, Madrid hoteliers expect to reach an average occupancy of 71% in the week from December 2 to 10, according to the survey by the Madrid Hotel Business Association (AEHM), which is higher than the figure estimated in 2019.

Also in Seville, hotel occupancy during the weekend will reach 80%, according to Mayor Antonio Muñoz, who acknowledged that these figures are “very good” compared to those of a normal year.

also, Vigo, back to the top of favorite destinations From the bridge, as in 2021, thanks Christmas light showensuring that hotels are full every weekend in December.

The visitors that beach destinations receive depend a lot on it How does the weather forecast evolve?but from the Association of Hoteliers of the Costa del Sol (AHECOS) they already have average occupancy of 55%, where tourists are expected to be divided into two bridges, each of which is associated with a weekend. In the Andalusian hotel sector as a whole, it is estimated that more than 65% of the available spaces will be occupied.

The outlook is positive in the Valencian community as the Hosbec Hotel Association estimates average occupancy along the entire bridge at 65%, with peaks in large capitals and major tourist sites, such as Benidorm where 85% will be exceeded over the next few days. In addition, Valencia posted practically the entire poster for this weekend Thanks for the marathon celebration.

They say the data has already normalized to those enrolled before the pandemic, but from correlation they again claim the need to Group holidays with weekends off.

“Two holidays in the middle of the week means utter chaos for corporate production cycles and family reconciliation. Additionally, tourism activity is greatly boosted when the holidays pile up on Mondays. In this case, if the holidays are placed respectively on Monday and Tuesday for all Spaniards Travel has been promoted much moreregrets Nuria Montes, General Secretary of Hospic.

However, the data is already predicting a large bridge of tourism activity in the sunniest destinations, while in those in Prepare for winter sports to start the season. The Sierra Nevada Business Association, whose ski resort opens Saturday, expects an average occupancy rate of nearly 70% for the first week of December. in Pyrenean regions of Lleida With estimated ski resorts toOccupancy ranges between 60% and 65%% and in Aragon they will be about 50%.

Good tourist forecasts for the whole winter

The predictions of this bridge were good compared to what happened last year at the start of a wave omicron dashed hopes of a sector recoveryIt extends throughout the winter. This is the opinion of employers in Spanish hotels, who presented on Thursday the “Smart Observatory” report, which states that Occupation until spring will exceed the numbers recorded in 2019.

The eventual recovery of tourism activity, highlights the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations (CEHAT), will be promoted by the built-in intention to travel, positive sentiment and interest in traveling to Spain and Revitalization of international tourism.

However, despite this optimistic sentiment for the coming months, there is Threats coming from the economic situationinflationary context, The possibility of a recession Or the decline in growth in tourist-sending countries is already showing up as black clouds for the sector.

“There are shades in costs and profitability and in the UK, which is very important to us. We’ve already noticed some downturn in tourist arrivals Because of the economic situation they are going through and it is affecting us,” warns Montes of the Hotel Management Association of Valencia.

The head of CEHAT also warns of risks to the recovery due to the rise in Costs that “significantly” affect the accommodation sector. “It is highly dependent on both energy and fluctuations in food and beverage prices. Therefore, although we present optimistic results, we are vigilant about Complicated situation loomingsays Jorge Marichal.

However, from an economic point of view, there is an aspect, says the report, that plays in favor of tourism. The depreciation of the euro against the dollar appears to be the only macroeconomic component working in favor of the sector which is Promote Europe as a tourist destination facing the rest of the world