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ARCHIVED - Spanish hotels and campsites brace themselves for bumper Easter Week
Half of Spain's tourist accommodation is already full until the end of June
On the cusp of the first Easter Week (April 1 to 9) without travel restrictions in Spain, hotels and campsites are anticipating an "extraordinary" spring, with half of the country's tourist accommodation already fully booked until the end of June.
Advance reservations have exceeded all expectations, which, along with inflation, has seen prices bumped up. However, this has done nothing to deter holidaymakers eager to get away.
Spanish hotels are already reporting 44% spring occupancy, compared to 36% last year, reaching 95% over Easter. And campsites are forecasting an average occupancy rate of 90% for Holy Week, with hundreds of establishments set to be fully booked, according to the latest figures from the Spanish Federation of Campsites (FEEC).
The booking rate for bungalows throughout the country is currently almost 95% and 80% for open-air pitches for motorhomes, campers and caravans.Overall, there has been a 30% increase in tourist accommodation bookings since Christmas, with an average stay of five days this Easter Week. The average daily spend per family is between 100 and 120 euros.
President of the Spanish Hotels and Tourist Accomodations (Cehat), Jorge Marichal, confirmed "half of Spain is already full for the next three months" during a presentation of the Smart Observatory, a report on the hotel evolution in Spain, this week.
He added that in order to avoid "high prices", travellers should book well in advance due to the "high demand".
"People have to understand that the closer the time of reservation gets, the higher the cost. Those who wait will not be guaranteed a good price."
He stressed that while accommodation prices have risen by around 8%, hoteliers have not benefited as "the cost of food and beverages has increased by up to 15% while energy costs have doubled".
"On average, the increase in costs for the hotelier has been between 25 and 28%," he added.
The report highlights that national and international interest in Spanish hotel accommodation "remains very high," despite reservations from the UK and German markets being below record 2019 pre-pandemic levels for the moment.
Hoteliers are confident that inflation will be "controlled" as the year progresses, instilling more confidence in travellers looking to book a break in Spain over the summer and winter months.
In contrast, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary this week warned inflation could see flight prices soar by up to 15% this year.
Images: Archive
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