Overnight stays in Spanish hotel establishments rose 10.3 percent in February from the same month in 2023, surpassing 18.5 million, according to the Hotel Tourism Cumulative data released on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics INE. The figures show that the average revenue per room edged up by 7 percent, approaching 106.7 euros.
Overnight stays by residents of Spain grew by 4.1 percent, while stays by non residents increased by 14.2 percent. British and German visitors remain the leading foreign markets.
In the first two months of 2024, overnight stays rose by 8.4 percent compared with the same period in the previous year. Stays by Spanish residents were up 1.5 percent and those by non residents up 12.7 percent.
By destination, Andalusia, the Community of Madrid, and Catalonia were the main destinations for Spanish residents, accounting for 20.2 percent, 14 percent, and 12.7 percent of total overnight stays respectively. Among foreign visitors, the favorites were Canary Islands, Catalonia, and Andalusia, with 46.3 percent, 15.7 percent, and 14 percent of the total respectively.
Regarding tourist zones, Tenerife island reported the highest number of overnight stays, exceeding 2.1 million. The leading tourist spots for overnight stays were Barcelona, Madrid, and the resorts of San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Adeje.
Travelers from the United Kingdom and Germany accounted for 22.9 percent and 15.8 percent of the total overnight stays by non residents in February. Overnight stays by travelers from France, the Netherlands, and Italy followed, representing 6.9 percent, 4.6 percent, and 4.6 percent respectively.
Increase in occupancy levels
INE data show that last month 53.1 percent of available beds were occupied, up 3.2 percent year on year. Weekend occupancy rose by 0.7 percentage points to 59.6 percent.
Canarias posted the highest occupancy level at 76.2 percent. Among tourist zones, the South of Gran Canaria reached an occupancy of 82.2 percent, and also led weekend occupancy with 81.2 percent.
The top tourist spot for occupancy by beds was Mogán at 83.1 percent, which also registered the highest weekend occupancy at 83.5 percent.
Prices continue to rise but at a more moderate pace
The Hotel Price Index increased by 7.7 percent in February compared to February 2023, according to INE. This rise is lower than in the earlier months of the year, with 7.6 percent in January, 8.7 percent in December, 8.6 percent in November, and 9.5 percent in October. In February of the previous year the increase stood at 11 percent.
Regional highs were seen in Aragon with a 10.9 percent rise, while Navarra showed a rare decline of 0.3 percent. The largest price increases occurred in four star gold establishments at 8.6 percent.
The average revenue per room sold (ADR) was 106.7 euros, up 7 percent from February 2023. The daily revenue per available room (RevPAR) reached 67.4 euros, up 11.2 percent.
By category, five star hotels averaged 239.3 euros in revenue, four star hotels 110.9 euros, and three star hotels 83.4 euros. Corresponding average earnings per room were 156.3 euros for five stars, 79.4 euros for four stars, and 53.9 euros for three stars.
The tourist spot with the highest average revenue was Naut Aran at 233.9 euros, while the municipality of Adeje registered the highest RevPAR at 169 euros.