89% of sales made in the first week of August are for immediate enjoyment
89% of the bookings made by Spanish tourists in the first week of August are for immediate enjoyment, according to a study carried out by the Spanish online travel agency Destinia, which thus detects a notable change in behaviour compared to previous years, when last-minute purchases were much less frequent. Without going any further, bookings beyond October 2020 account for only 1% of the total.
During the first weekend in August, the number of bookings for accommodation reached 85% of the total for the same period last year. Regions such as Asturias have grown significantly this season, in a report that also highlights that the number of searches for August has risen by 79% over the same week in 2019, the result of the customer shift from traditional agency to online agency, within the scenario of pandemic.
In terms of volume, the destinations chosen for this month of August by Spanish tourists do not vary so much from previous years: Benidorm, Salou and Peñíscola are in first position, followed by other coastal towns such as Roquetas, Lloret de Mar, Torremolinos and Benalmádena, just ahead of Cambrils, Matalascañas and Playa del Inglés, which would complete the Top 10. The Costa del Sol, the Costa Brava, the Costa de la Luz and the Costa Dorada are the preferred locations in August among national customers.
Uncertainty of the pandemic
The move to last-minute shopping is motivated, according to Hilario Garrudo, a clinical psychologist specializing in new technologies and associated behaviors, by "the uncertainty that the pandemic has brought. We are being very prudent, and changing our lifestyle".
For his part, Ricardo Fernández, general director of Destinia, assures that "Spanish consumers continue to trust national destinations this summer, although they have been forced to be more short-sighted than ever. Reservations for tickets in less than five days to ensure that the destinations are open and that the situation is safe. Once we can't count on the international client in August, the national consumer is the one who will hold most destinations during these dates".
Credits https://www.agenttravel.es/noticia-038812_Las-reservas-de-ultima-hora-se-disparan-en-agosto-segun-Destinia.html
