While Mallorca is gripped by another heatwave which is due to last another few days, the travel agency eBooking.com has denied that the heatwaves which have occurred this summer in Spain have had a negative impact on tourist numbers, although it has admitted that, since the pandemic, a greater number of Nordic tourists have been staying in their own countries as temperatures there have risen.
The online holiday accommodation booking company stated in a press release that the successive heatwaves have not slowed bookings for Spanish destinations, as “traditionally, the sun has always been one of the main tourist attractions in Spain and in southern European destinations, and, for the time being, this remains the case”.
Notwithstanding this, the company has pointed out that it is true that, since the pandemic, domestic tourism amongst Europeans has increased, particularly for family and group holidays. The Nordic countries – traditional source markets for tourists – have for the past five years shown a growing tendency to travel within their own countries, which boosts their GDP and helps to ease the enormous pressure placed on southern countries in summer – traditional destination markets for tourists.
On the other hand, the company has denied that there has been an increase in searches for or bookings of international trips to destinations with milder temperatures. It has, however, noted that, when choosing accommodation, travellers are looking for places better equipped to cope with the heat, offering facilities such as air conditioning, swimming pools, green spaces and shaded areas, or indoor activities.
Finally, eBooking.com has pointed out that saturation of the Spanish market could indeed end up harming the sector in the medium term and may particularly affect travel by the middle class, who until now have been visiting Spain. “Rather than being down to the heat, what may happen is that, over time, that segment of the market becomes more discerning and wants to start exploring new destinations,” it concluded.
British tourists planning a Spain break this summer may find the classic “sit-outside-in-the-sun” routine doesn’t always go to plan. New workplace safety duties for the hospitality industry mean bars and restaurants must take extra steps to protect staff when temperatures climb, and that can include pausing table service on outdoor terraces during the most intense heat. In short: if conditions are judged unsafe, your usual shady spot might be off-limits for a few hours.
The change follows an update to Spain’s VI National Labour Agreement for the Hospitality Sector (ALEH), signed in April by unions FeSMC-UGT and CCOO Servicios alongside employers’ bodies Hostelería de España and CEHAT. The revised agreement brings heatwaves and other climate-related dangers into everyday risk assessments, after repeated spells of extreme weather that can push parts of Spain beyond 40C and leave staff working long stretches outdoors, reports Mundo Deportivo.