Hoteliers across Spain are entering the Puente del Pilar holiday with optimism: industry association Mesa del Turismo projects national average hotel occupancy of 80 % between 9 and 12 October, with rural lodging already above 70 %. Booking.com data show Madrid leading search interest—up 107 % on last year—followed by Sevilla, Granada and Valencia. Andalusia’s accommodation providers expect 85 % of beds to be filled, while the Comunidad Valenciana forecasts 85.4 % thanks to strong demand for interior tourism and late-season beach breaks. The Canary Islands, traditionally a magnet for foreign visitors, will benefit from a surge in mainland arrivals taking advantage of discounted inter-island airfares and additional flights put on by Binter Canarias and Vueling. Renfe has released 1.12 million train seats, including 403,000 on high-speed and long-distance services, reinforcing trends towards multimodal domestic travel. Average petrol prices have eased slightly—1.788 €/l for gasoline—but a 55-litre fill-up still costs nearly €100, underlining rail’s price competitiveness. For corporate mobility programmes the figures suggest limited last-minute hotel inventory in major cities. Travel managers should secure accommodation blocks early for employees attending the South Summit tech conference in Madrid (11–13 Oct.) or the Fruit Attraction trade fair, both overlapping with the holiday. The positive domestic demand also offers a cushion for destinations still awaiting the full rebound of long-haul tourism. Industry analysts see the long weekend as a bellwether for Q4 performance and for gauging whether Spain will surpass its 94-million-visitor record set in 2025.
Source: Agencia EFE
