Semana Santa 2025: Tourism trends and resort performance in Spain
9 min studying time
Published on 30/04/25, Up in the past on 1 hour ago
Easter 2025 offered a revealing snapshot of the evolving dynamics within Spain’s tourism and hospitality sector. With the vacation length falling later in the calendar and supported by wide public funding, the national outlook pointed to persisted momentum in put up-pandemic recovery. Whereas mixture figures confirmed will enhance in world arrivals, tourist spending, and job creation, performance on town level remained uneven. Cities similar to Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, and Valencia demonstrated varied results fashioned by local occasions, infrastructure toughen, weather prerequisites, and regulatory adjustments.
National overview: Easter 2025 tourism performance and sector dispositions
All the scheme thru a conference, the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, presented the Tourism Anxiousness File, a summary of the field’s construction recently that reflected progress in reworking the tourism mannequin.
Per this document the 2025 Easter modified into as soon as expected to be one other file-breaking length for tourism in the country, constructing on the solid performance considered in the early months of the 365 days. The forecasts indicated that world tourist spending modified into as soon as set to exceed €20 billion during Easter, representing a 13% develop in contrast to 2024. Furthermore, Spain modified into as soon as expected to welcome 15 million world tourists, marking a 9% boost over the previous 365 days. The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, attributed this success to the public insurance policies implemented recently, supported by an funding of €3.4 billion in European funds.
With Easter falling in April in 2025 (three weeks later than in 2024), Jordi Hereu emphasised that the timing would result in greater resort occupancy and increased spending. This shift in the vacation length reflected the field’s fulfillment in getting greater fully from the pandemic and keen against more qualitative boost, as shown by the rise in vacation space spending. Furthermore, the tourism employment sector also saw certain results, with nearly 25,000 fresh jobs added in March, marking a file for the month. This job boost modified into as soon as accompanied by an develop in job stability, with fewer momentary contracts than in previous years.
Barcelona: Volatility and energy amid seasonal shifts
All the scheme thru Easter 2025, Barcelona’s resort performance showcased indispensable fluctuations, reflecting every the inherent volatility of the vacation length and town’s resilience as a prime tourist vacation space. Per MKG Consulting, town skilled significant RevPAR adaptations, beginning with a drop of -4.05% on April 12, 2025, sooner than rebounding sharply to +24.83% by April 19, 2025. On the opposite hand, the RevPAR all over another time fell dramatically to -Forty eight.75% on April 21, 2025, which is terribly commonplace if we take notice of that here is in some unspecified time in the future after the end of the easter.
Furthermore on the 18,19 and Twentieth of April there modified into as soon as a top of +19.78%, +24,83% and +17, 65%. These fluctuations had been also mirrored in the Common Designate and occupancy rates, which saw a pointy decline of -34.61% on April 21 the Common Designate and -19,02 ingredients the Occupancy Charge. Whereas on the nineteenth of April 2025 the Common Designate had a 11,55% develop and the occupation price an evolution of 9,96 ingredients.
SEMANA SANTA in Barcelone: 2025 par Hospitality ON
No topic these momentary fluctuations, Barcelona’s prolonged-term outlook for resort performance during Easter remained solid, as indicated by the Barcelona Hotel Affiliation. Because it is mentioned at El Pais, the association indispensable the certain timing of Easter in mid-April, three weeks later than the previous 365 days, which modified into as soon as expected to rob occupancy rates. Forecasts instructed an occupancy price of 85%, reaffirming town’s enduring charm to every leisure and alternate travelers
To boot to to the commonplace vacation fluctuations, the tourism tax offered by the Tax Company of Catalonia doubtless played a position in shaping Barcelona’s tourism landscape keen forward. Efficient from October 1, 2024, the tax offered a municipal surcharge for resort stays, which will have an affect on customer conduct in the medium term. At this point, it wishes to be highlighted the truth that despite the introduction of this tax, the tourists proceed to return vastly in Barcelona.
Madrid: Safe inquire with key occasion-driven peaks
Madrid’s resort performance during Easter 2025 revealed a mixture of certain trends and challenges, influenced by every local occasions and external components. Per MKG Consulting, town before the entirety saw a decline in RevPAR with a dip of -23,29% and -23,32% on April 14 and 15 respectively, sooner than a immediate recovery on April 16, reaching +1,08%.
On the opposite hand, the performance dropped dramatically another time on April 21, 2025, with RevPAR falling by -41.61%. In an identical vogue, the Occupancy Charge adopted this pattern, with a decline of -28.49 ingredients on April 21, signaling difficulties in asserting excessive occupancy ranges during the later days of the vacation length.
SEMANA SANTA in Madrid par Hospitality ON
The Madrid Hotel Industry Affiliation’s Occupancy Gape, on the opposite hand, had forecast a solid occupancy price of 80.55% during Holy Week, a marked enchancment over March 2024, where occupancy modified into as soon as round 70%. Significantly, the peek highlighted a top in occupancy on Friday, April 18, and Saturday, April 19, 2025, reaching over 89%.
The presence of main occasions, such because the Champions League match between Arsenal and Proper Madrid n April 16th, modified into as soon as also a significant part, riding occupancy above 83%. The breakdown of buyer beginning indicated a solid mix of world and domestic company, with the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and France main the price.
No topic attainable final-minute cancellations, AEHM Executive Vice President Mar de Miguel expressed her pride with the forecast for this Easter, as “it is indicative of the dynamism of Madrid’s tourism sector.” She added: “The variety of origins of our company demonstrates Madrid’s finest seems attributable to the diversity of its choices. There are only about a cities in the arena that may per chance well boast this form of prosperous offering as Madrid, and here is reflected in the choice of travelers.”
Furthermore, the excessive-lag prepare operator iryo contributed to the inquire by including extra frequencies between Madrid and Valencia, guaranteeing smoother fling during the Easter length, which doubtless contributed to enhanced mobility for every leisure and alternate travelers.
Seville: Non secular festivities, weather disruptions, and infrastructure toughen
Seville’s resort performance during Easter 2025 presented a mixture of challenges and recovery, influenced by every inquire fluctuations and external components similar to weather prerequisites and transportation alternatives. Per MKG Consulting, town skilled significant volatility in its resort performance, with RevPAR showing a decline of -30.4% on April 12, 2025, sooner than getting greater to +26.74% on April 17, 2025 and persevering with on that rhythm till the end of the Holy week, marking a 21,85% evolution on the 20/04/2025, evaluating to the final 365 days.
SEMANA SANTA in Seville par Hospitality ON
In an identical vogue, the Common Designate and occupancy rates mirrored these patterns, peaking on April 18, 2025, at +19.7 and +6.16 ingredients develop, respectively, but falling to 4,16% and -13,93 ingredients by April 21 respectively for the Common Designate and the Occupancy Charge. This pattern highlights the solid inquire driven by Seville’s iconic Holy Week celebrations, but additionally the challenges of asserting occupancy after the festivities.
Weather disruptions also played a position in Seville’s Easter performance. As reported by the Associated Press, rainstorms triggered the cancellation of some Holy Week processions, which traditionally entice nice crowds. These weather prerequisites doubtless impacted customer numbers and, by extension, resort performance, in particular during key glean collectively days.
By system of fling infrastructure, Seville benefited from extra transport providers. Iryo, Spain’s main non-public excessive-lag operator, answered to the vacation inquire by growing providers between Madrid and Seville, with extra trains operating from April 28 to Would possibly per chance also simply 31, 2025. This develop in transportation alternatives doubtless facilitated fling to Seville, serving to to rob resort occupancy during the pinnacle Easter length.
Furthermore, essentially based completely on the certain bet from AENA, the neighborhood reported that 69,327 flights had been scheduled to feature during the vacation length, representing an 11.5% develop in contrast to Easter 2024, when the vacation fell in March. This rise in flight task is indicative of the general develop in fling inquire, in particular to in kind destinations be pleased Valencia, Seville, and Madrid, where resort occupancy has been exceptionally excessive.
Valencia: Coastal inquire surges with final-minute bookings
All the scheme thru Easter 2025, Valencia’s resort performance displayed some fluctuations but additionally marked a length of solid inquire, in particular in its coastal areas. Per MKG Consulting, RevPAR in Valencia started with a runt decline of -1.56% on April 12, but skilled a recovery, peaking at +15.82% on April 18. On the opposite hand, it faced one other drop of -26.94% on April 21, reflecting the volatility incessantly considered during excessive-inquire sessions be pleased Easter.
SEMANA SANTA in Valencia par Hospitality ON
In an identical vogue, the Common Designate confirmed fixed realistic boost, with the perfect develop occurring on April 17 at +6.35%. Occupancy Rates mirrored this pattern, with a 11,65 ingredients develop on April thirteenth, following with a -16,64 ingredients drop on the 21/04, doubtless driven by the challenges of overtourism during such top sessions.
Furhermore, essentially based completely on the certain bet of HOSBEC, the Hotel and Tourism Industry Affiliation of the Valencian Neighborhood, resort occupancy in Spain during Easter 2025 exceeded all forecasts, with the Valencian Neighborhood achieving a heroic 85% average occupancy. Benidorm and Gandia led the discipline with 92% occupancy, whereas Valencia Metropolis stood out with 91%.
This marks a significant enchancment from Easter 2024, with the average occupancy growing by 10 percentage ingredients. In the Alicante Costa Blanca discipline, the occupancy price reached 89.1%, whereas Castellón saw 82%, and the province of Valencia finished 86%. The average for the 2nd half of April is expected to remain excessive, with confirmed reservations for Benidorm at 78.2%, Alicante South at 77.1%, and Valencia Metropolis at 76.5%.
The surge in inquire modified into as soon as largely driven by final-minute bookings and lovely weather that encouraged many to talk over with the seashores, with tourists having fun with the first swim of the 365 days. The general develop in resort occupancy also correlates with the greater series of domestic medium-haul travelers and top flight schedules on the three main airports in the discipline (Valencia, Alicante, and Castellón), main to with out a doubt one of the most sole Easter performances recently.
Easter 2025 confirmed the resilience of Spain’s tourism alternate whereas highlighting the field’s growing complexity. National indicators masks persisted boost in world customer numbers and expenditure, alongside with improvements in employment. On the opposite hand, the divergent patterns proper thru key urban markets underline the importance of timing, external components, and native tourism insurance policies.
