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Friday, December 13, 2024

Tourists booking higher star hotels after pandemic on Ibiza

Tourist preferences and dynamics are changing with the average price per night being 50 euros higher than three years ago at 265 euros.

The dynamics of tourist preferences have changed for as a result of the covid pandemic and it is increasingly common for hotel reservations to be made at the last minute. This is the justification given by José María Ramón, CEO of Neobookings, the booking engine that controls more than 60% of the places in the Pitiusas and operates with both hotels and online travel agencies, to the fact that tourist bookings are still down by 5% this August and down 31% in September compared to the same month in 2019.

“In July we ended up with 4.23% higher occupancy, so with last minute bookings there is still growth left. I think we will reach August’s quotas without a doubt and surely September’s as well,” he explains.

According to the data handled by Neobookings, 65.5% of this month’s bookings have been formalized and 34.5% of cancellations have been accounted for. In September, the percentages are 71.8% and 28.22%, respectively. “The cancellation issue is not significant. We used to look at it a lot, but now it has normalized. We are at normal levels,” says Ramón.

Changing tourist preferences

What has changed is the type of accommodation the client opts for. “Two- and three-star hotels are the ones that suffer the most because people are increasingly booking in higher categories,” says Ramón. However, he adds that, although establishments from three stars down have fewer reservations, stays are longer.

Los turistas reservan en hoteles de más categoría tras la pandemia en IbizaTourists book in higher category hotels after the pandemic in Ibiza

The prices have also varied. In July, for example, it has gone from paying 182 euros on average per night in 2019 to 238 last month. This month it also costs about 50 euros more to sleep on Ibiza than three years ago, as the average per night amounts to 265 euros. Looking ahead to September, the price drops to 191 euros, compared to the 156 euros that customers paid in 2019. Already in October a night costs 136 euros compared to 98 euros on average that tourists paid in the same month prepandemia.

32% of visitors to the island this year book four to six nights, although the same percentage opts for a stay of two or three days. Nineteen percent only booked one day and just over 17% extended their stay by a week and a half. If we compare it with the pre-pandemic figures, the percentages hardly vary, standing at 34, 31, 12 and 17%, respectively.

For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.

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