Spain has kicked off the summer season at near full capacity despite rising prices making it what the Spanish press has dubbed ‘the most expensive holidays of our lives’.
But despite the price pinch, many Spaniards still seem set on going away this summer anyway, albeit with slightly different holiday plans.
In fact, research by the EMEA Summer Travel report shows that demand has increased by 35 percent in Spain compared to the summer of 2019.
The report, put together by Google and Rocket Digital, reveals that internet searches have reached historic highs in Spain, ranking as the second most in demand country in the world, behind only the United States.
According to the report, tourist prices have risen considerably since the pandemic, with air fares around 10% more expensive overall than in 2019, accommodation costs going up by as much as 20%, and rental cars by a whopping 50%.
Figures from Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) shows that both national and international tourist packages are almost 20% more expensive than a year ago, while campsite and hostel prices have increased by 5.7%.
In June, hotels had already sold 52% of their available rooms for summer, 2% higher than in 2022 and 17% than in 2019 for the same dates, which means that occupancy will exceed 80% in July and August.
According to INE data, in July and August of last year 17.9 million international tourists visited Spain, below the level of 20 million in 2019.
The government predicts that throughout the summer season Spain will receive around 54.8 million tourists, 15.6% more than in 2022 and 3% more than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. In terms of spending, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism expects these travellers to spend approximately €67.6 billion during their stays in Spain.
Overall, the Spanish tourism sector is expected to post record revenue in 2023 for the second consecutive year.
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