Although flight bookings are still 30% lower than in 2019, tourism, and therefore hospitality, is starting to recover and invest in hotel equipment.
However, these figures are not definitive, as there are last-minute bookings and the numbers vary considerably.
Full beaches and hotels at 100% occupancy
Despite the restrictions in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 began with changes that made it easier for tourists to enter Spain following recent recommendations from the European Council.
As an eminently touristic country, Spain wants to open its doors to tourism from Latin America, while the authorities forecast a sustained recovery of the sector.
Tourism restrictions arising from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2022
However, there are still certain safety measures we must bear in mind to prevent new cases of COVID-19.
If you remember, hotels made a huge effort during the pandemic to provide optimal service despite the difficulties it caused.
Measures
- Installation of proximity electronic locks to avoid contact
- Implementation of Onity OnPortal™ for access control
- Room access via smartphone thanks to DirectKey™ Toolkit
- Enhanced cleaning of rooms, handles and access cards and common areas to prevent the virus from spreading
The measures taken by the government and by hotels themselves have made Spain the destination of choice for tourists: as well as being highly sought after for its sun and beaches, we are also a safe country.
Will the war in Ukraine cut short this rise in tourism?
However, the pandemic isn't our only "enemy" right now. The recent conflict in Ukraine may discourage people from long-haul destinations from travelling to our country.
The Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés, said that caution will be needed depending on the duration and intensity of the war in Eastern Europe.
"We are constantly monitoring whether it could affect confidence and prices," he said.
In any case, Fernando Valdés pointed out that "2022 has begun with a sustained recovery in tourism, as reflected in the hotel occupancy survey".
Although we still need to be patient, hotel occupancy data are encouraging for a sector that has been hit extremely hard and is our country's largest source of income.
