Spanish tourism has started a rapid recovery after the collapse of business during the pandemic and has – at least for now – managed to overcome the impact of the war in Ukraine and the surrounding economic uncertainties. The hotel industry has recorded a real surge in demand during the summer months after the stagnation of the past two years, but there are ripples that indicate the recovery so far has not been complete and the effects of the pandemic blow continue to linger.
In the midst of the high season, with all records of tourism activity rising strongly, Spain has hundreds of fewer hotels than were in operation before the pandemic. During this August, traditionally the highest demand and full hotel activity, A total of 16,328 hotels across the country became operationalmuch more than last year, but still much less than the covid hit.
1,515 more businesses opened in Spain last month than last year, when tourism was still very slow due to mobility restrictions. But There were 572 establishments, less than 16,900 open pre-pandemic in August 2019.According to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Hotel facility reductions in Spain during this high season, which meant 3,200 fewer rooms were offered than before, totaled 877,350 this August.
4 and 5 star growing
The hotel industry has been warned that this cut in the number of active hotels is the lasting mark left by the pandemic, with hundreds of businesses falling by the wayside, especially in the subcategory. Companies are at the same time as the evolution of the hotel factory. the industry’s commitment to greater added value and repositioning its establishments luxury.
And the decline in the number of active hotels affects all hotel categories except four- and five-star hotels. While the industry as a whole is losing More than 570 hotels from pre-pandemic levelsIn this period, the number of enterprises in the upper category increased. In August, the Spanish market totaled 367 five-star hotels, 24 more (3,185 rooms) than before the coronavirus outbreak, and four-star hotels 2,881,163 more (almost 19,200 more rooms) than in August 2019.
In 2020, it was completely and mandatory for hotels to be closed on full alert. In March, the government decided that all hotels in the country would be forced to close to prevent the spread of Covid, giving chains a maximum of one week to close all their businesses. Only about 300 private hotels were saved, which continued to operate to serve essential workers on their inevitable journey. INE statistics show no hotels open in April 2020. None.
job recovery
Spanish hotels registered in August, the main month of the major summer season, totaled 46.29 million overnight stays, representing a strong increase of 34% over last year, but still slightly below pre-covid records (98.5) percent of pre-pandemic activity recovered). Specifically, organizations were still registered last month 705,400 overnight stays, less than August of pre-Covid 2019, Exceeding 46.99 million stays.
With the fervor of the revival, albeit incomplete, Spanish hotels manage to raise their prices due to increased demand and cost increases caused by rising inflation. Hotel businesses increased their prices in July by 11.3% in August Compared to the same month last year, until reaching an average income for each room occupied of 127.6 euros per night. The industry is already easily exceeding the prices it offered before the pandemic: the average revenue per room and night in August 2019 is 109.6 euros, 16% below the current level.
It is an important indicator in the tourism industry to measure real evolution of business and profitability per available room (number of revolutions), is used to calibrate both prices and occupancy. Spanish hotels increased their RevPar to 101.6 euros in August, thereby increasing last year’s records by 30% and exceeding the pre-pandemic 2019 level by 16%.