‘Fully Booked for Easter’: that is the message that many customers will soon start to see on hotel booking platforms if they plan to take a break during Easter in Canarias. The level of reservations is so high with two weeks left before the start of the holiday period, that hoteliers in the two island provinces expect to hang the ‘Fully Booked’ sign soon. The tourist boom that the Archipelago expects, which will also be felt in other parts of Spain, is being driven by British families who continue their traditional choice of spending vacations on the Islands. Santiago de Armas, board member of the Lopesan group and president of IFA Hotels– with nine hotel complexes in the Las Palmas province–, and Miguel Villarroya, general director of the Spring Hoteles group– with three hotels in Tenerife–, confirm the positive outlook for what they expect to be a record-breaking Easter weekend.
‘The forecasts are very positive, in line with the tourism performance at the beginning of the winter season’, states Santiago de Armas referring to the good figures from months like last November, when tourist spending reached €1,942 million, up by 16.4% from the same month in 2022. The current optimism is also based on the current reservation rate, ranging between 80% and 85%, with expectations of a significant increase during Easter, almost reaching full hotel capacity. “If we were already at a high occupancy level in general, during the upcoming holiday period we believe that it is possible to fill the hotels, although it is quite challenging,” adds De Armas.
British Families and, to a lesser extent, the German market
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Similar high expectations are also held in the province of Tenerife. Miguel Villarroya points out that the British market shows strong interest in the Archipelago. ‘We can practically say that we are already fully booked,’ he reveals, highlighting the traditional preference of British tourists for Canarias. Instead of having just one week off, British schoolchildren have two – their so-called half term – so families take advantage of that period to visit the Islands in search of the much-needed vitamin D that is scarce during the rainy months in their country.
In addition to the British market, there is an upsurge in German tourism evident in the reservations, particularly in preferred areas for these visitors like Northern Tenerife. Diversification of the tourism market is, in fact, a crucial factor in the anticipated success of the Easter season. ‘We see an increase in tourists from France and Italy due to the progressive improvement in air connectivity in recent years,’ Villarroya highlights. This trend is complemented by interest from markets such as Poland, the Baltic countries, and the United States – the latter market is growing in South Tenerife thanks to the return of direct connection between the southern airport and New York.
Despite the inflationary wave that started in April 2021, hotel prices have remained ‘at acceptable levels’ for tourists, according to De Armas and Villarroya. Hoteliers have adjusted their cost structures in the final price offered to the customer, managing to maintain competitiveness in the market.
Regarding booking anticipation, there is a trend towards greater planning from tourists. ‘We notice the increased planning in mid-term reservations,’ mentions Villarroya, a fact he attributes to the desire to secure stays in their favorite hotels during a period of high demand.
Like in Canarias, numerous destinations across the country are already preparing for full occupancy in their establishments, despite inflation significantly driving up their prices. The early reservations also further stimulate a season that is predicted to be historical once again. Additionally, the geopolitical context, with the crisis in the Middle East deterring tourists from destinations like Egypt due to increased insecurity, plays a role.
It is worth noting that the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, recently predicted at the ITB in Berlin a ‘historic’ Easter in Spain, with an additional two million tourists and an expected €3.7 billion more in spending during March and April, compared to the same months last year. Moreover, the scheduled seats on direct international flights for this period amount to 4.38 million, 5.2% higher than the same period in 2023.
The Mesa del Turismo also announced a few days ago that occupancy during these Easter holidays is expected to reach around 70% in major Spanish cities, setting the country up for the ‘best quarter in tourism history.’ The early Easter celebration in March also drives forward bookings, benefiting ski and snow tourism.
