Hotels pick up more customers in September but slow their growth

The hotels got more customers and more occupancy nights in September 2017 than in same month of a year before. In particular, number of customers raised 4.1%, up to 10.9 million users. Overnight stays rose to 2.2%, up to 38 million nights. The ascent arrives mostly from hand of foreign visitors, who grow 2.7%, compared to 0.8% more Spaniards that same month.

• Exceltur foresees losses of 1.2 billion for Catalan tourism if fall of reserves persists
• The plan to convert lighthouses into aground hotels for lack of investors
• The menu with which hoteliers try to reassure tourists of Barcelona
• July 2017 becomes in month with more history tourists in Spain

Although figure is positive, it is a slowdown in terms of recovery that hotels lived last year. The growth of 2.2% of overnight stays is lowest for that month since 2013, since last year in September contracted nights grew 6.6% interannual and previous two, above 3%.

The hotel occupancy is first official fact that National Institute of Statistics publishes every month on tourism. It is not extrapolated to tourism, especially in recent years, where use of or types of accommodation, especially apartments has grown stronger. But it is a rmometer that in case of September shows that arrivals continue to rise and that neir attacks of August in Catalonia nor sovereignty process caused that month a descent of arrivals with respect to 2016. The tourism sector has warned, yes, that in October and from referendum y have noticed less reservations.

Andalusia, Catalonia, Comunidad Valenciana and Comunidad de Madrid are main destinations for travelers living in Spain in September. However, in all those destinations less in Catalonia (which grows by 0.3%), y fall with respect to 2016:4.2% in Andalusia, 3% in Valencian Community and 4.8% in Madrid. Among foreigners, most common destination is still Balearic (overnight stays 1.5%), followed by Canarias 8sube 1.5% and Catalonia (rises by 4.3%).

Part of slowdown comes from two main foreign customers of Spanish tourism sector: Travelers from UK and Germany concentrate 26.9% and 23.3%, respectively, of total overnight stays of non-residents in Hotel establishments in September. Both British and German markets fall by 2.2% in annual rate. Also French (-3.7%) and Italians (-3.5%) fall.

By category, prices go up in all. The average daily turnover of hotels for each occupied room (ADR) is 89.8 euros in September, which implies an increase of 6.7% compared to same month of 2016. The average turnover is 194.3 euros for five-star hotels, 97.1 euros for those of four and 75.2 euros for three-star.