Spain has been left red-faced after UK tourists made a “last gasp” decision to head to the European Union holiday hotspot despite protests and demonstrations amid a growing restlessness and anger over so-called “overtourism” this year.
UK holidaymakers and tourists appear to have made a late decision to head to the Balearic Islands this year, as recent booking data shows a 27 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023. The surge in bookings was reported by the booking platform TravelgateX.
Majorca, Ibiza, and Menorca experienced a slower-than-usual start to the season. But the last week has brought a significant uptick, with British tourists making the most of the remaining beach weather, according to the latest data.
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Despite the recent spike, bookings for the week of October 7 to October 13 saw a 5.9 per cent decrease compared to the previous week. For the week of October 7 to October 13, the Balearic Islands ranked sixth in terms of overall bookings in Spain.
It accounted for 8.3 per cent of the total. This places the islands behind Catalonia (20 per cent), Andalusia (16 per cent), the Canary Islands (15 per cent), Madrid (13 per cent), and Valencia (10 per cent). According to TravelgateX, 20 per cent of all bookings were made at least 90 days in advance.
Meanwhile, 16 per cent of bookings were made between 15 and 30 days before travel, showcasing a preference for moderate planning among some tourists. Of the bookings registered in the last seven days in Spain, half were made by couples and almost half of the travellers – 49.5 percent – book for between two and five nights, according to the TravelgateX data.
Domestic tourism prevails among the main nationalities that have booked during the last seven days through TravelgateX: Spaniards have made 54 percent of the bookings, followed by British travellers with 18 per cent.
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