The Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Tourism have announced that the number of travel bookings to Spain in July and August is in line with normal summer levels. Nine out of ten international bookings made in 2019 have so far recovered.
Initially, the Spanish authorities relied on domestic tourists, attracting Spaniards from the central regions of the country to the resorts. And this approach has fully justified itself. In addition, international travelers have also returned. According to officials, this is a sufficient guarantee that the season will be successful, including in terms of economic indicators.
According to the latest figures, domestic ticket sales this summer season are three percent higher than in 2019, with the islands being the most sought-after destinations.
Leading the table is Fuerteventura, with 39 percent more bookings than in 2019. Further places in the rating of preferences of tourists were distributed as follows:
- Ibiza – plus 33%
- Lanzarote – plus 31%
- Santa Cruz de la Palma – plus 22%
- Malaga – plus 6%
The Catalan capital Barcelona is also exceeding pre-pandemic volumes, with nine percent more tours purchased so far than in 2019.
The statistics also show that the number of flights to Spain from abroad increased by 89 percent compared to 2019, which was a record year for international tourist arrivals.
Thus, there is every reason to believe that Spain will regain its position in the international market this summer. Experts note that these successes are mainly due to tourists “from the rest of Europe”, as Asia sags by 70 percent, and American markets have only begun to grow.
Among the countries that give the main flow of tourists are Great Britain and Germany. They are also in positive territory compared to 2019: by 5 and 22 percent, respectively.
Sweden, Denmark, and Norway show the highest growth compared to the period before the pandemic: +79%, +46%, and +33%.
The Balearic Islands are the most preferred for international tourists. Ticket sales for the archipelago are already 10 percent higher than in 2019. Moreover, Ibiza grew by 14 percent, and Palma de Mallorca – by nine.
Tourists with the highest purchasing power show the greatest interest in Spain, with 25 percent more bookings in premium hotels than before the pandemic.