Spanish hotels remain empty. Photo DR
SPAIN. Spanish tourism is on its knees. The Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) estimates that overnight stays in hotels will fall by 73.4% in July 2020 compared to July 2019.
However, the state of emergency ended on 21 June 2020. "In July, the number of establishments open increased compared to June, from 5,896 to 12,068 (29.5% less than in July 2019)," says the INE.
A figure to be put into perspective, as the most important accommodation structures operated in a degraded mode...or not at all " The total number of places offered is 1,025,713, i.e. 52.7% of the total " explains the INE.
4.3 million travellers stayed in a hotel establishment in July 2020, consuming 11.5 million overnight stays. "These figures represent respectively 35.7% and 26.6% of the totals estimated a year ago," notes the INE.
The "locals" are not enough
The foreigners have not come very often. The Spaniards partly compensated for this defection with 3.2 million local travellers against 1.1 million non-residents. Unfortunately, they are staying for less time. "The average stay of travellers in hotels has fallen by 25.5% compared to 2019, to 2.7 nights per traveller," says the INE.
In the first seven months of the year, the number of overnight stays in Spanish hotels has fallen by almost 30% compared to 2019. The collapse of the tourism sector has yet to be precisely quantified, but it will have a strong impact on the Iberian economy. The tourism business association Exceltur estimates a shortfall of almost 99 billion euros, while Mesa del Turismo is counting on 120 billion. Tourism represents 12.5 % of the Spanish GDP.
The end of the year promises to be just as catastrophic. The resumption of the epidemic in Spain leads every week new countries (Great Britain, Germany...) to impose fourteen to every person who has stayed behind the Pyrenees barrier.
Spain could see its GDP drop by 15% in 2020 and the unemployment rate jump to 20%.
However, the state of emergency ended on 21 June 2020. "In July, the number of establishments open increased compared to June, from 5,896 to 12,068 (29.5% less than in July 2019)," says the INE.
A figure to be put into perspective, as the most important accommodation structures operated in a degraded mode...or not at all " The total number of places offered is 1,025,713, i.e. 52.7% of the total " explains the INE.
4.3 million travellers stayed in a hotel establishment in July 2020, consuming 11.5 million overnight stays. "These figures represent respectively 35.7% and 26.6% of the totals estimated a year ago," notes the INE.
The "locals" are not enough
The foreigners have not come very often. The Spaniards partly compensated for this defection with 3.2 million local travellers against 1.1 million non-residents. Unfortunately, they are staying for less time. "The average stay of travellers in hotels has fallen by 25.5% compared to 2019, to 2.7 nights per traveller," says the INE.
In the first seven months of the year, the number of overnight stays in Spanish hotels has fallen by almost 30% compared to 2019. The collapse of the tourism sector has yet to be precisely quantified, but it will have a strong impact on the Iberian economy. The tourism business association Exceltur estimates a shortfall of almost 99 billion euros, while Mesa del Turismo is counting on 120 billion. Tourism represents 12.5 % of the Spanish GDP.
The end of the year promises to be just as catastrophic. The resumption of the epidemic in Spain leads every week new countries (Great Britain, Germany...) to impose fourteen to every person who has stayed behind the Pyrenees barrier.
Spain could see its GDP drop by 15% in 2020 and the unemployment rate jump to 20%.
