Spanish tourism is gearing up for a vibrant summer, with industry leaders and the government anticipating a peak season where demand surges beyond pre-pandemic levels. As one official put it last week, the country can expect a summer similar to recent years, underscoring confidence in a strong rebound for travel and hospitality [Citation: Ministry of Tourism briefing].
After a two-year pause caused by Covid restrictions, tourism in Turkey is also returning to normal, aiming for a near full recovery amid inflation and ongoing economic uncertainty linked to geopolitical tensions in Europe. The horizon looks bright as both national and international travelers are expected to flood popular destinations, signaling a sustained recovery despite current headwinds [Citation: Regional Tourism Council report].
With the anticipated influx of visitors, major telecom providers are mobilizing to guarantee seamless connectivity in high-traffic tourist areas. Each summer, telecoms expand capacity to handle more users in peak months, and this season sees an even stronger push in 5G coverage to support vibrant tourism activity and widespread digital services [Citation: National Telecom Strategy].
Movistar has intensified its 5G network across 312 municipalities, focusing on coastal towns and inland hubs that attract large numbers of visitors. This expansion covers 226 coastal municipalities and 86 inland areas with significant summer traffic, spanning thirteen autonomous communities and both smaller towns under 1,000 inhabitants and larger tourist focal points [Citation: Movistar Network Report].
Vodafone has rolled out connectivity improvements across more than 1,000 beaches in 173 municipalities, delivering 5G access to coastal regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Euskadi, Catalonia, Andalusia, the Comunitat Valenciana, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands where summer populations peak [Citation: Vodafone Seasonal Deployment].
Orange continues expanding its 4G and 5G footprint in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 residents, ensuring high-performance service for summer visitors. The company plans to reposition its mobile stations to strengthen coverage for 85 events, festivals, concerts, and popular gatherings in 29 Spanish cities, including venues like Valencia’s Les Arts, Primavera Sound, and Mad Cool [Citation: Orange Spain Expansion].
MásMóvil is in the middle of its merger talks with Orange Spain while already extending its 5G reach to more than 900 towns. Its summer strategy centers on maximizing capacity in major beach destinations and coastal events, aligning with the season’s peak travel calendar [Citation: MásMóvil Coverage Plan].
All major carriers are accelerating work on 5G deployment in the 700 MHz band as the next leap in mobile connectivity. Movistar is opening more than 500 installations in this band during the summer, aiming to connect 1,400 municipalities by year-end and 3,400 by 2023, strengthening nationwide coverage as demand grows [Citation: Movistar 700 MHz Initiative].
Orange plans to extend 5G in the 700 MHz band throughout the year, reaching over 1,100 municipalities, including 960 with populations over 50,000 and 140 with fewer than 1,000 residents. Vodafone is expanding to around 1,000 municipalities, including a mix of mid-to-large towns and many smaller locales, to cover roughly 46% of the population [Citation: 700 MHz Rollout Summaries].