Spain has been left red-faced after bookings to the regions have actually risen
Spain has faced a humiliating setback as anti-UK tourist protests have sparked across the nation, with British holidaymakers becoming the focal point of disgruntled EU residents’ demonstrations against “overtourism”.
Despite the unrest in popular destinations like the Canary Islands and Balearics, recent data from TravelgateX shows that bookings to the Balearics have surged by 10.1% in the last week compared to the previous one, and by a significant 29.7% when matched with the same period last year.
The Balearic Islands have climbed to become Spain’s third most sought-after spot for holidays over the past seven days, securing 16% of bookings, trailing just behind Andalusia and Catalonia, which both captured 18%.
The latest figures reveal that nearly 20% of this week’s nationwide bookings were made approximately two months ahead of travel, with an additional 18% secured more than 90 days in advance. Meanwhile, last-minute reservations, either the day before or on the day of travel, constituted 10.4%.
Couples made up half of the bookings, and almost half of the travellers (48.9%) opted for stays ranging from two to five nights, whereas 25% booked single-night stays, reports Birmingham Live. Spaniards lead the booking statistics with 55.5%, but Brits are not far behind, making up 18.8% of the total, followed by Germans at 3.3% and Portuguese at 2.8%.
A disgruntled local responded to the study with scepticism, stating: “Who are TravelgateX? Never heard of them. I suspect that the previous week they had nine bookings – and last week (being half-term holiday in the UK) their bookings rose to ten. Marvellous… … and risible.”
Another individual scrutinised the data’s reflection on their location, remarking, “Not Menorca – it’s extremely quiet, worryingly quiet,” after the study’s figures were released this week.
A third person cheekily commented on the findings, saying: “We win again! The winningest winners in the history of winning.” Meanwhile, another simply added, “Come on now.”