The national market is keeping tourism going.

The national market is keeping tourism going. | Teresa Ayuga

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma13/08/2020 14:41
TW
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According to Palma-based TravelgateX, holiday bookings for Spain increased more than for other countries over the week 3-9 August by comparison with the previous week.

TravelgateX director, José Díaz, says that despite the restrictions imposed by many governments, bookings for Spain rose by 26% and were at 46% of what they were at the same time in 2019. The Balearics was one of five regions attracting most bookings.

Of other countries included in the comparison, the UK was the second highest (17%), followed by France (nine per cent). For Greece, the figure was three per cent, while Italy and Portugal both registered decreases - down one per cent and two per cent respectively.

Díaz notes that Spain is getting more last-minute bookings than elsewhere. During the week 3-9 August, 68% of bookings were for holidays within the next fortnight. By comparison, Portugal (54%) was second in this regard.

The study highlights the importance of national tourism. "The domestic market is the great engine of the slight but continuous recovery and accounts for almost nine out of ten reservations in Spain". In other countries, Díaz explains, the domestic market "barely exceeds 50%".