SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE/MADRID, 31 May. (EUROPE PRESS) –
Overnight stays in tourist apartments soared 473.6% in the Canary Islands in April compared to the same month last year to exceed 1.9 million, which places the islands as the leading destination, according to provisional data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) made public this Tuesday.
Compared to April 2019, before the health pandemic began, the market has not yet recovered and overnight stays are 11.5% lower.
With an average stay of 6.84 days, overnight stays were led by foreign tourists (1,670,285) ahead of nationals (265,973), with an occupation of 67.1% and a total of 10,321 employees.
By tourist areas, the island of Tenerife was the preferred destination, with 613,973 overnight stays, while the coast of Barcelona had the highest occupancy rate, with 86.6% of the apartments on offer.
The tourist spots with the highest number of overnight stays in April are San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria), Arona (Tenerife) and Tías (Lanzarote).
In Spain, overnight stays in tourist apartments last April increased by 349.1%. Those made by residents increased by 134.1%, while those by non-residents soared by 736.9%.
The average stay in Spanish apartments fell by 4.9% compared to April 2021, reaching a total of 4.6 overnight stays per traveler.
In April, 32.4% of the bedplaces offered by tourist apartments were occupied, 208.4% more than in the same month of 2021. The weekend occupancy rate by bedplaces stood at 35.4% , with an increase of 160.8%.
UK
Overnight stays by non-residents in tourist apartments represented 66.5% of the total, with the United Kingdom being the main source market with more than 1 million overnight stays, followed distantly by Germany with 392,889.
After the Canary Islands, Madrid was the autonomous community with the highest occupancy, with 59.2% of the apartments offered.
Adding apartments, campsites, rural accommodation and hostels, overnight stays soared last April to reach 9.3 million.
This represents almost quadrupling (238.7%) the figure registered in the same month of 2021 when a total of 2.7 million overnight stays were recorded.
This boost was a consequence, above all, of the 526% increase (six times more) in overnight stays by foreigners. Those of the Spaniards increased in the fourth month of the year by 132.7% compared to March of the previous year.
Of the 9.3 million overnight stays registered by the statistical institute in April, 4.7 million were residents of Spain, 2.6 million visitors from European Union countries and another 2 million from the rest of the world.
Data from the statistical institute show that the average stay in Spanish non-hotel accommodation in April stood at 3.6 overnight stays per traveler.
With all this, during the first four months of 2022, overnight stays in this type of non-hotel accommodation increased by 234.4% compared to the same period of the previous year.
With regard to campsites, these registered an increase of 130.4% in April compared to the same month of the previous year. Those of residents increased by 95.7 and those of non-residents, by 242.3%.
During April, 37.6% of the offered pitches were occupied, 25.5% more than in the same month of 2021. The weekend occupancy rate reached 39.4%, with an annual increase of 19, 3%.
35.2% of the overnight stays in campsites were made by non-resident travellers. Germany was the main issuing market, with 25.8% of the total of non-residents, 242.8% more than in April 2021.
According to INE data, Catalonia was the preferred destination for campsites, with more than 1.3 million overnight stays, which represents an increase of 162.9% in the annual rate. La Rioja reached the highest occupancy rate, with 59.3% of the plots offered.
By tourist areas, the Costa Daurada was the preferred destination, with 594,924 overnight stays. The Costa Blanca (Alicante) presented the highest occupancy rate, with 70.1% of the apartments offered.
The tourist spots with the most overnight stays were Benidorm, Mont-Roig del Camp and Tarragona
RURAL ACCOMMODATIONS GAIN STRENGTH
Last April, overnight stays in rural tourism accommodation showed an annual increase of 225.2%. Those of residents rose by 197.3% and those of non-residents, by 392.8%
In this type of non-hotel accommodation, 21.9% of the beds were occupied, 155.4% more than in April 2021. The weekend occupancy rate stood at 34.9%, with an annual increase of 126.4%.
By communities, Castilla y León was the preferred destination, with 185,357 overnight stays, 316.6% more than in April 2021. Illes Balears reached the highest occupancy rate, with 50.8% of the bedplaces offered.
By tourist areas, Mallorca was the preferred destination, with 98,093 overnight stays. For its part, Menorca reached the highest occupancy, with 53.3% of the places offered
With regard to hostels, a total of 592,617 overnight stays were registered in April, which represents an annual increase of 972.5%. Those of residents increased by 587% and those of non-residents soared by 2,293.1%.
In April, 30.1% of the places in hostels were occupied, 474.2% more than in April 2021. The weekend occupancy rate reached 34%, with an increase of 424.8%.
The Community of Madrid was the preferred destination to stay in hostels in our country, with 89,152 overnight stays. This autonomous community also reached the highest occupancy, with 71.4% of the places offered.
PRICE INCREASE
The INE also released the Tourist Apartment Price Index (IPAP) on Tuesday, which increased by 13.8% in April compared to the same month in 2021 and the Rural Tourism Price Index (IPTR) by 8.8%. On the contrary, the Campsite Price Index (IPAC) fell 0.5%.
With all this, overnight stays in all Spanish collective tourist accommodation (hotels, apartments, campsites, rural tourism accommodation and hostels) increased by 399.5% in April in the annual rate. Those of residents rose 207% and those of non-residents, 856.8%.
INE data show that the average stay grew by 17.2%, up to 3.1 overnight stays per traveler.
Of the total overnight stays in collective tourist accommodation, 72.8% corresponded to hotels and 27.2% to non-hotel tourist accommodation.
The main issuing markets in the set of regulated tourist accommodation were the British (with 24.7% of the total overnight stays by non-residents), German (18.5%) and French (9.6%).
