Spain hotels anticipate record summer tourism even as bookings dip

Spanish hoteliers expect a new record of international visitors this summer despite lower hotel reservations compared with the same period last year. Jorge Marichal, president of the Confederación Española de Hoteles y Alojamientos Turísticos (CEHAT), highlighted a 6.1% rise in international flight connectivity, with 322,500 scheduled flights, noting strong growth from Italy (+10.8%) and the United Kingdom (+7.7%). However, occupancy in the booking pipeline falls by one percentage point each month, with July at 35%, August at 28% and September stable at 42%. Revenue from current bookings is up 19% year‑on‑year and the average nightly price has risen to €202 from €194 in 2025.

In the Costa del Sol, the Asociación de Empresarios Hoteleros de la Costa del Sol (AEHCOS) forecasts July occupancy at 86.3%, slightly below 87.8% in 2025, and expects a sharper decline in August to 84.98% from 92.15% a year earlier. AEHCOS president José Luque warns of the drop but hopes last‑minute bookings will narrow the gap. Both groups remain optimistic about the overall summer outlook despite the current reservation shortfall.