Number of overnight stays in Catalan hotels up by 2% in 2013
According to the Spanish Statistics Institute (INE), the 49.26 million overnight stays registered in 2013 amounted to a 1.82% increase on the previous year, thanks to a 5.34% rise for foreign guests. On the other hand, due to the economic crisis, the number of overnight stays for Spaniards fell by 6.82%. The number of visitors who stayed in one of Catalonia’s 2,122 hotels in 2013 reached a total of 16.240 million people, an increase of 0.02 % over 2012. The number of foreign guests also increased, by 3.62 %, while the number of Spanish visitors fell by 5.66 %. Catalan hotels registered a 55.55% occupancy rate, above the 55.51% posted in 2012.
Madrid (ACN).- The number of visitors from both Spain and foreign countries, who stayed in one of Catalonia’s 2,122 hotels in 2013, reached a total of 16.24 million people, an increase of 0.02 % over 2012, according to the Spanish Statistics Institute (INE). Due to the economic crisis, the number of Spanish guests fell by 5.66% whereas the number of foreigners rose by 3.62%. The 49.26 million overnight stays registered in 2013 represented an increase by 1.82% over the previous year, thanks to a 5.34% rise for foreigners. On the other hand, for Spaniards, such a figure fell by 6.82%. Catalan hotels registered a 55.55% occupancy rate, above the 55.51% posted in 2012.
These latest figures show that the generalised recession in Spain in 2013 has caused a drop the in the number of Spanish visitors in Catalonia’s hotels, as well as a decrease in the number of their overnight stays. However, the strong dynamics of foreign tourists have not only neutralised the negative effects of the Spanish economy on the hotel market but helped improve the average number of overnight stays in Catalan hotels: indeed, it passed from an average of 2.98 nights in 2012 to 3.03 nights in 2013.
The number of hotels in Catalonia increased by 1.73%, passing from 2,086 in 2012 to 2,122 in late 2013. Furthermore, there were 232,826 rooms available in 2013, 1.47 % more than in 2012.
Opposite trends for Spanish and foreign guests
In 2013, in precise terms, 16,240,148 people registered at one of the hotel receptions, exceeding by 0.02% the 16,236,943 visitors from 2012. Out of this number, 5,941,235 guests were Spanish citizens, amounting to a decrease by 5.66 % compared to the 6,297,683 visitors of 2012. Foreigners who stayed in one of the Catalan hotels exceeded ten million people in 2013: they were precisely 10,298,913 last year, meaning an increase by 3.62 % compared to the 9,939,260 foreign guests who came in 2012.
Significant rise in overnight stays thanks to foreign customers
The rise in the number of overnight stays is more relevant than the number of visitors. In 2013, such a figure totalled 49,256,779 nights, amounting to an increase by 1.82 %. This was especially driven by the foreign customers. Indeed, they accounted for a total of 36,202,960 nights, 5.34 % more than 34,366,973 nights registered in 2012. On the other hand, Spaniards accounted for 13,053,819 of these nights, amounting to a decrease by 6.82 % over 2012.
Slight rises in the general and weekend occupancy rates
In 2013, the occupancy rate amounted to 55.55 %, slightly above the 55.51 % rate registered in 2012. On weekends, the average occupancy reached 60.82 % in 2013 against 60.56 % in 2012.