Tourism is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel after the pandemic. After the most difficult stage, travel agents predict a return for this Easter. According to the Association of Institutional Specialized Travel Agents (Acave), vacation bookings increased between 40% and 50% compared to the same period last year. Many Spaniards will be able to enjoy their Easter holidays normally again, although the Russian invasion of Ukraine has slowed reservations. However, how to optimize spending in this period of crisis and inflation?
House swapping is one of the cheapest and thriving options in Spain, with bookings up 289% this Easter, according to data from HomeExange. This means that one person makes his home available for a period of time and at the same time visits the home of another person staying at his home. Other websites that allow you to save are ‘car sharing’ sites such as BlaBlaCar or Amovens that make it easy to board another passenger or another family’s vehicle with your own car. You can also take advantage of the fact that they offer “car rental services at much lower prices than traditional companies,” according to reports. Luis Alberto Iglesias, a financial education specialist at the School of Value. The increase in fuel prices makes it more attractive to travel by train or with one of the ‘low cost’ AVE offers.
When it comes to booking, planning is essential. In the case of Easter, two weeks in advance is a “more than reasonable” time because, unlike in the summer, the weather is much more volatile and travel decisions are often made at the last minute, he explains. Educators and Financial Planners (AEPF), Xavier Santacruz. Regardless, she recommends pushing forward the decisions of future travel as far as possible, as the costs are getting more expensive with each passing day. For those who have not yet decided, flexibility in choosing will be decisive. “If you’re flexible, you’ll find offers all year long,” he says. Antonio Gallardo, the expert of financial comparison specialist Banqmi. “If you have the opportunity to visit less crowded or well-known places, it wouldn’t make sense to forego destinations that are better economically and can meet the same needs you have,” he said. Santa Cruz. According to a survey by Acave, the national destinations most requested by Spaniards this Easter are the Canary Islands, Catalonia and Valencia, Andalusia and the Balearic Islands.
To calculate how much you will spend on travel, it is best to save money for this purpose throughout the year so that there is more “freedom to spend” later. iglesias. He says budgets are met with unexpected expenses, are “limiting” and difficult to adapt to. In the absence of foresight, it would be best to go one by one with the games and make up for each other without limiting the entire trip.
The best allies in this process are forums, blogs, and offer comparators, but you shouldn’t stick to just one as it offers significant differences in travel conditions. Pages like Booking, Airbnb or Trip Advisor are some examples.
Free plans at destination are a good option, as long as they’re compatible with travel times, as they tend to “focus on hours outside of the most demanded hours.” In particular, ‘free tours’ can be successful or more expensive than fixed-price ‘tours’. “The consumer feels compelled to reciprocate,” he adds. iglesias.
Searching for off prices, good spots, and homemade food, you can go to the typical restaurants of each city—where the locals go—and save by browsing the menus of the day. ‘Souvenirs’ are another point to avoid or at least buy outside of tourist areas.
In the context of the crisis, companies will have to pay more attention to differentiating themselves from the thousands of options available to users, encouraging consumption and personalizing their offerings. Sandra VazquezDayvo Sistemas’ director of ‘marketing’ explains that “in the days when users are more on their mobile phones” they should consider the “influencer” commitment as well as include digital and social networking campaigns and marketing. In the end, they need to be tailored to the consumer, and now “showing ambitious offers” is the key.