According to Mabrian’s data intelligence on Christmas demand, Spain is solidifying its status as a premier tourist location with a notable surge in demand from both European and long-haul markets. Major cities like Madrid and Barcelona, as well as popular destinations such as Alicante and Malaga, are seeing increased interest.
This Christmas marks Spain’s affirmation as a top tourist destination, evidenced by a 9.4% increase in air capacity compared to the previous year, reflecting a strong connection to key source markets.
Mabrian, a global travel intelligence platform, assessed seat availability from Spain’s leading markets, cross-referencing it with travel interest via the Share of Searches Index. This index calculates travel intent based on flight search behaviors, irrespective of confirmed bookings, for the period from December 20, 2024, to January 5, 2025.
“Our insights suggest that Spain is solidifying its position as a year-round tourist destination, with increasing demand from both traditional European markets and long-haul destinations like Mexico, Brazil, and the United States,” explains Carlos Cendra.
Increased Demand from Latin America and Nordic Countries
During the Christmas period, international air seat availability to Spain is projected to increase by 9.4% compared to 2023. Key findings from Mabrian’s data show that the number of airline seats available rose by 11.7% from various international markets, while domestic flights recorded a 4.6% rise. Significant growth is also noted from primary markets such as the UK (+11%), Germany (+8.2%), Italy (+24.6%), France (+7.7%), and Netherlands (+4.1%).
Mabrian’s analysis indicates that the average length of stay this Christmas is anticipated to hit 8.3 days, up by 2% from last year, reflecting positively on profitability for the entire tourism ecosystem.
The surge in seat availability reflects the rising inspirational demand for Spain against other European destinations. Notably, Spain now captures 12.8% of the inspirational demand, marking an increase of 0.6 percentage points from the previous year. Demand is particularly noticeable from key market sources including the UK (+1.3 percentage points), Germany (+0.8%), and Italy (+1.1 percentage points), alongside notable increases from Latin American countries like Mexico (+4.2) and Brazil (+1.2), as well as from Nordic countries.
