Spain’s Tourism Drops by 70 Per Cent Thanks to Covid

Tourism drops in Spain because of Covid

Spain's Hotels: Tourism has dropped by 70% because of Covid. Image: Melia

THE Covid pandemic saw Spain’s tourism industry drop by more than 70 per cent in 2020, according to figures released today.

The data shows overnight stays in Spain’s hotels last year dropped to 91.6 million, a figure that is 73.3 per cent lower than in 2019.

The decrease also represents the largest drop in Spain’s tourism industry since records began, according to the data by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

Figures also showed the price of hotel stays dropped by around 6 per cent last year in Spain.

The price reduction was not enough to lure in tourists, however, with the number of foreign visitors dropping by 81.7 per cent compared to 2019, while the number of Spanish tourists staying in the country’s hotels decreased by 57.6 per cent.

Experts said they believe companies may be able to recover some of the income lost by Spain’s tourism drop this summer, however, since demand for holidays continues to grow despite the Covid pandemic.

Hotel chain Melia said: “Regarding the forecasts for the next few weeks or months, there is great volatility (the situation is constantly changing) and almost no predictability, so we cannot make forecasts. As a general estimate, we think that the vaccination process and the progressive control of the pandemic could allow a slight and gradual recovery from Easter 2021, with a summer that should see a certain recovery, while maintaining the protocols and measures security of our Stay Safe With Melia.”

Experts also emphasised the need for support for small and medium sized hotel businesses. Current figures show around 70 per cent of Spain’s hotels remain closed, while occupancy remains at around 20 per cent.


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