The Canary Islands, still in high season, was in February the preferred destination for non-hotel accommodations, registering more than 2.5 million overnight stays, 14.6% more than in the same month of 2024, and the highest occupancy, 88.9% of the apartments offered.
In total, in Spain, overnight stays in non-hotel accommodations (apartments, campsites, rural houses, and hostels) rose by 2.6% last February, to more than 6.8 million, although with uneven evolutions depending on the types of establishments.
According to figures published this Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), nights spent in apartments grew by 7.2% and in rural houses by 0.7%, but fell in hostels (21.1%) and campsites (2.7%).
The positive global balance is the result of the increase in nights consumed by non-residents, which grew by 7%, because those of residents fell by 8.5%.
Prices continue to rise
Prices rose in all establishments: in apartments, 5.8% in February compared to a year earlier; in campsites, 3.9%, and in rural houses, 11%. The INE does not measure hostel prices.
The price growth, which began after the pandemic, in the spring of 2021, has been constant since then, and, although in recent months it has somewhat moderated the rates, it continues to rise well above general inflation.
The average stay was 4.6 overnight stays per traveler, a figure that stands at 5.4 in the case of apartments.
Overnight stays in tourist apartments increased by 7.2% in February and totaled 4.49 million, with an increase of 10.7% among foreigners (3.6 million) and a decrease of 5.8% among Spaniards (835,700).
Therefore, 81.4% of overnight stays were made by non-resident travelers. The United Kingdom, as usual, was the main issuing market, with 26.8% of the total.
The Canary Islands, still in high season, was the preferred destination, with more than 2.5 million overnight stays and an increase of 14.6% compared to February 2024. It also had the highest occupancy, with 88.9% of the apartments offered.
In February, 36.5% of the places offered were occupied, 7.1% more than in the same month of 2024, and on weekends the occupancy reached 40%.
Campsites below
Overnight stays in campsites decreased by 2.7% in February, to 1.51 million, with those of internationals at the same level as the previous year and those of residents 10.5% below.
75.8% of overnight stays were made by non-resident travelers. In this case, the main issuer is Germany, with 39.1% of the total.
The Valencian Community was the preferred destination in these establishments, with more than 673,000 nights consumed, and a decrease of 6.4% in the annual rate. It also reached the highest degree of occupancy, with 72.6% of the plots offered.
In rural tourism accommodations, nights rose by 0.7% in February, to just over half a million, and with a similar evolution to the rest, since those registered among international travelers increase (14.5%) and those of nationals decrease (3.6%).
Andalusia was the preferred destination, with more than 84,000 overnight stays, 48.3% more than in February 2024. The Canary Islands reached the highest degree of occupancy, with 46.5%.
Overnight stays in hostels registered an annual decrease of 21.1% in February. Those of residents fell by 25.1% and those of non-residents by 17.4%.
Madrid was the preferred destination, with more than 83,000 overnight stays, and the highest degree of occupancy, 51.4%.
