Travel agencies and hotels anticipate a record summer and no last-minute offers

2023-06-21 21:36:11

Las travel agency aim this summer at a 15% increase in reserves compared to last year. Despite the rapid changes suffered by the sector in recent years, the surviving companies ensure that tourist activity remains high and Spain maintains a high capacity for attraction. The level of 2019 is already exceeded. As a consequence of this high demand, the Corporate Association of Specialized Travel Agencies (Acave) ensures that a obvious increase in prices, specially in air Transport and accommodation. Another element that characterizes the tourist season this year is that reservations have been made in advance. 50% of tourist agencies have registered most of their reservations more than two months in advance of the date of the trip.

Acave, the main employer in the sector in Spain and which represents the interests of Spanish travel agencies in international spheres, bases its forecasts on a survey carried out among its 400 associated agencies. The high perceived demand occurs at times of record prices. Customers keep intact their desire for vacations despite the record prices. Jordi Martí, president of Acave, has assessed these data, considering that they confirm the recovery of the sector, both issuing and receptive, as “a symptom that we have also overcome the pre-pandemic record years”. 37% of travel agencies acknowledge that the great novelty this year is the increase in the price of plane tickets, but also of hotels (29%).

Sources of siteminder confirm these perceptions of travel agencies by assuring that hotel reservations are growing around 17% up to June compared to the record figures of 2019. According to these data, the demand for international travelers at the gates of summer has increased and It represents 55% of the reserves. The SiteMinder World Hotel Index ranks Spain as the European country with the fastest growth compared to the volumes of hotel reservations in 2019, followed by Portugal (with somewhat lower similar figures), Italy and the United Kingdom. The war in Ukraine has meant that travelers from Europe going to Turkey prefer Western Europe this year.

The issuing sector of travel agencies (the purchase of tickets and tourist packages to go abroad) has also noted an increase in the anticipation of reservations by Spaniards: 50% of the issuing agencies surveyed affirm that the majority of the Reservations have been registered more than 2 months in advance, while 25% have seen that on average the anticipation in the reservation was between 1 and 2 months with respect to the date of the trip.

Last minute offers are not expected

It should be noted that many agencies are also waiting for a significant number of last-minute reservations, either because the client has not yet closed their travel dates or because they expect that offers can be found at the last minute, something that agencies see as unlikely. in a context like the current one.

As for national destinations, Spaniards who book their trips through agencies are betting this season first on the Canary Islands, followed by the Balearic Islands, and destinations on the Mediterranean coast, especially Andalusia and Catalonia. Next are the Atlantic coasts and urban tourism destinations such as Madrid stand out for the first time.

Over the international destinations, those surveyed place Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt and Jordan in first position, and, in second place, the United States and countries of the Asian continent such as China, Japan, Thailand or Vietnam. They are followed at a greater distance by cruise ships, African countries and safaris and European capitals. Albania, Bulgaria, Morocco and Turkey are destinations highlighted by travel agencies such as good value for money option for this year.

Almost 67% of the incoming agencies surveyed (those that offer services to tourists) consider that inflation and the rise in prices have not affected the decision of many foreigners to travel to Spain. As regards booking in advance, 39% of the incoming agencies surveyed affirm that the majority of reservations have been registered more than 2 months in advance, while 23% have seen that on average the advance in reservation was between 1 and 2 months from the date of travel. Another 15% are also noticing more of the effect of the last hour. By market, on average the survey identifies a proportion of reserves of 75% international and 25% national. By country, the most important markets of origin will be in this order: France and the United Kingdom, and further away Germany and Benelux. The United States continues to grow as an emerging source market for Spain and in the field of trips managed by travel agencies, it already surpasses markets such as the Benelux. The favorite destinations this season for foreigners who will visit Spain are in the first place the coasts of Catalonia and Andalusia, followed by urban tourism destinations such as Barcelona and Madrid, and further away the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. Further away, but with notable growth this year we also have wine routes and rural tourism proposals.