Granada's Costa Tropical benefits from the 'safe haven' effect with a rise in summer bookings and prices

Studies by the Alliance for Excellence in Tourism (Exceltur), an umbrella group that brings together the major corporations in the national tourism sector, suggest an increase in bookings in Spain due to the diversion of some 47 million Europeans who visited Middle Eastern countries last year.

The president and CEO of the hotel chain Meliá, Gabriel Escarrer, has anticipated a "double-digit" growth in the group's bookings for this summer due to this additional demand effect in the face of the closure or high risk of other destinations.

Hotels on the Costa Tropical are already noticing the increase in bookings from international tourists, to which will be added the fact that the national tourists will stay at home more.

The president of the association of hoteliers of the Costa Tropical, Jesús Megías, has already issued a warning to holidaymakers: "If you are planning to book on the beach, wake up, because there is going to be demand and prices will increase. This year you have to forget about waiting for last minute offers".

The also director of the Albaycín del Mar hotel calculates that this 'refuge destination' effect due to the uncertainty generated by the conflict in the Middle East has already increased by 22 per cent the bookings of international tourists compared to last summer, "and there is still May and June left to sell".

"Many European tourists who initially planned to travel to Turkey or Egypt are finally opting for Spanish destinations, especially the Costa del Sol and different parts of the Spanish Mediterranean coast, where the Granada coast is also benefiting," he says.

Megías explained that they are noticing a greater interest from British, French, German and Dutch visitors, "attracted by the security, tranquillity, climate and a less overcrowded offer than on other coasts". Although prices are dynamic and move according to demand, it is clear that this summer they will continue to rise, spurred on by the international context of rising costs. On average, it is expected that beach hotels will cost five per cent more than last summer, when there was another upturn. Megías insists, however, that the Costa Tropical still maintains a competitive price advantage over other major tourist destinations.

"Together with the strength of the national market, where the Costa Tropical is already an established destination, I am convinced that we are going to have an excellent summer," he concluded.

The president of the Association of Tourist Intermediation Agencies and secretary of the Provincial Federation of Hotel and Tourism Companies of Granada, Juan Peláez, said, "We are receiving many enquiries from tour operators who had channelled their catalogues to other competing destinations such as Cyprus, Turkey or Tunisia and they are transferring clients to us."

However, the rise in flight prices due to the direct impact of fuel conflicts and the possibility of jet fuel shortages is one of the factors that will hold back international travel. "The fares for flights from Spain to Europe have gone up and the customer is afraid of the taxes; they are putting in almost 20 per cent and that hurts," Peláez concluded.

Moisés Martínez is the owner of the Nubia Tours agency, specialising in trips to the Middle East and Egypt, and also has the thermometer of the national sector with his company Viajas.com, which focuses on tours around Spain and Europe. His impression is that this summer Spaniards "are going to tend more towards inland tourism" and he also believes that this 'borrowed tourism' effect will benefit bookings in Granada.

"There will be a tendency to travel more within Spain and Europe. International travel is becoming more expensive because of fuel and airfares. It depends on the destination, but for flights of more than four hours there are increases of between 200 and 300 euros on average. Hotels are also going up quite a lot and when several members of the family are travelling, it's noticeable," he said.

Although Middle Eastern destinations are blocked at the moment, the Egypt travel specialist says the country is holding its own. "We have noticed that bookings have been postponed for October and next year. We already have many bookings for Christmas and even Easter in 2027," he said, insisting that Egypt is still safe at the moment: "You can go with complete peace of mind."