The summer season in Spain this year appears to be propelled by strong booking demand from Scandinavia and its local market reveals ForwardKeys, a leading global travel data company based in Valencia, Spain.
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Inbound International Travel to Spain – Sun-loving Scandinavians could save the day.
According to the latest ticketing data by ForwardKeys issued tickets for future travel to Spain from Sweden and Denmark have consistently outshined 2019 results since mid-April. France, a source market that has faced severe lockdown for many months, is the 3rd topmost resilient nationality currently booking a flight to a sunny spot in Spain. On the other hand, tickets from other key source markets such as the United Kingdom remain below average but are expected to pick up once restrictions on international travel are eased further.
“While key source markets like the United Kingdom remain in the backburner, paying attention to Scandinavians and other traditional European source markets that are reactivating quicker, could make the difference for Spanish destinations that rely heavily on international arrivals”, says Juan Gomez, Insights Expert at ForwardKeys.
Latest data points that Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands are the most resilient markets ahead of the summer season, with confirmed tickets for travelling to Spain between June and August only 20%, 42%, and 54% behind the same moment in 2019, respectively. Ibiza (-34%), Palma (-42%), Alicante (-50%), Menorca (-56%), and Malaga (-61%) are ahead of the national average for confirmed tickets from the EU and the United Kingdom this summer.
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Domestic travel in Spain shows a strong appetite for the islands
Hosteleros canarios and baleares alike, it’s time to dust your Spanish menus and make sure your accommodation listings are available in Spanish. After enduring months of tough travel restrictions and Covid-19 limitations, Spaniards are looking to unwind on a sandy beach and have a dip on crystal-clear waters, that is still close to home despite looking like Hawaii – yes, the Canary Islands and the Balearics are seeing an unprecedented number of domestic tickets issued in the last two weeks.
“While overall tickets for domestic summer travel in Spain remain 62% below 2019 levels, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands are currently tracking 36% and 42% below, with key destinations in both archipelagos making it to the top 5 most resilient destinations in Spain” points Juan Gomez.
Looking at current ticketing trends, these figures will potentially improve as both the Balearics and the Canary islands are posting growth versus the same period in 2019.
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Outbound international travel from Spain
Ticketing for international outbound travel from Spain this summer 2021 is also showing strong pick-up. With the vaccination rollout accelerating in Spain, ticketing for traditional long-haul destinations for the Spanish market such as Mexico are close to 2019 levels.
For the Dominican Republic and the Maldives, weekly tickets for future travel have exceeded 2019 levels since mid-April and the strong pick-up is already having apositive impact on the summer outlook for these destinations.
Currently, the Dominican Republic is the topmost resilient international destination for Spanish travellers, with tickets for arrivals between June and August only 34% behind 2019 levels. It is followed by Maldives (-54%), Mexico (-55%) and Ecuador (-64%).
The summer season has yet to arrive, which means even more updated ticketing data from ForwardKeys is to be published. Spanish tourism will likely get boosted by British tourists once the destination is deemed safe again and moves from amber light to green, and other key source markets reactivate. Domestic will once again be key to recovery.
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