More and more Spaniards are giving up their traditional summer holidays by the sea, as foreign tourists are crowding out locals due to an unprecedented rise in hotel and vacation property prices. This is shown by new data from the research company inAtlas, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
According to yet unpublished official statistics, in 2023, 800,000 fewer Spaniards vacationed in the country's 25 most popular coastal destinations, while the number of foreigners increased by 1.94 million. The trend is expected to intensify as Spain, the world's second most visited country after France, prepares to welcome a record 100 million foreign tourists by 2025.
“Prices have become absurd. The whole Spanish coast is very expensive,“ said Wendy Davila, 26, who cancelled her expensive holiday in Cadiz and opted for the more affordable inland city of Burgos.
According to data from the company Mabrian, hotel prices in Spain have jumped 23% in the past three years, reaching an average of 136 euros per night. Meanwhile, an analysis by Tecnitasa shows that rentals of holiday properties on the coast have increased by more than 20% since mid-2023 alone, with most bookings being made at the beginning of the year.
“It is increasingly difficult for Spaniards to afford a beach holiday“, commented Tecnitasa president José María Bassanes. According to data from inAtlas, foreign tourists spend an average of eight nights in seaside resorts and spend significantly more, while locals only afford four nights and spend a quarter of the money of foreigners.
Despite the boom in international tourism, some resorts are reporting a decline in domestic sales. In 2024 Spaniards made almost 400,000 fewer trips to major cities than the previous year, while foreign visits increased by almost 3 million.
In response to this trend, Spain's socialist government has already taken action. In June, Tourism Minister Jordi Herreu announced a campaign to redirect international interest to lesser-known domestic destinations.
“If we want to remain leaders in international tourism, we must decentralize our destinations,” he said.