Travelers planning a quick escape to Spain for the early May bridge weekend should expect higher prices than last year. The surge is strongest in Catalonia, an autonomous community where the price gap can approach 80%. This trend has been observed by the online reservation platform Booking.com and confirmed by the Corporate Association of Expert Travel Agencies (CAVE). While Booking.com does not set the prices, it acknowledges that travel costs are rising, even as demand keeps hitting new records.
“The ongoing price rise aligns with the uptrend already noted,” says the report from the eBook manager. “In Easter 2022, reservations ran about 22% higher, averaging 155 euros per night versus 127 euros at that time.”
In other words, the increase continues in the tourism sector, with the May bridge showing roughly a 25% uplift—three percentage points more than what was seen during Easter. On the whole, the average nightly rate remains fairly steady when comparing overall spend, with peak days like Thursday, Good Friday, and the following days hovering around 150 euros per night instead of last year’s ~120 euros.
Radiography of prices reveals wide variance by region. Catalonia currently leads as the most expensive region, with the average nightly rate rising from 118 euros last year to 211 euros in 2023 (a rise of about 78%). In contrast, the Canary Islands and Andalusia show smaller movements, with price levels easing by around 6% and near 3% respectively.
Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Cordoba, and Granada emerge as the most requested destinations for the May public holiday, according to Booking data. The sequence continues with Malaga, Valencia, and Cadiz. Only about a quarter of reservations are for international locations, with Portugal, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Andorra leading the foreign interest.
“People are traveling like never before”
“This isn’t just about cities; it’s about top destinations and the law of supply and demand,” explains a spokesperson for ACAVE, highlighting how price movements vary between municipalities. What stands out is the rise in demand, with travel services pricing climbing as a result. The same expert notes that people are traveling more than ever, approaching the volumes seen in 2019, a benchmark year many see as a reference point for recovery. In inflationary times, reservations may be used as a strategy to mitigate price hikes.
The bottom line is clear: this May public holiday is likely to be more expensive for transport, hotels, and restaurants than last year, but that won’t derail the momentum of Holy Week or the overall enthusiasm that characterized 2019.