Travel agencies exceed 2022 reservations by up to 20% for this long weekend of the Constitution, with the holidays of December 6 and 8, dates that many Spaniards take advantage of to take a getaway and admire the Christmas decorations of other destinations before . to immerse yourself in the festive whirlwind of the last month of the year.
In this sense, the first vice president of the Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV), José Manuel Lastra, has told Europa Press that he expects an increase in reservations of between 15% and 20% compared to 2022 for this December long weekend. .
Still pending the final closure and the final pull of the last hour, all expectations suggest that it will be “the culmination of a very good year for the travel agency sector,” according to the employers’ association.
“This December long weekend is turning out to be very positive, added to the fact that the dates help as both Wednesday and Friday of the week in question are holidays,” Lastra indicated.
Optimism for a record year
From the UNAV, its president, José Luis Méndez, harbors “a lot of optimism” in this festive period, since the reservations in the agencies integrated into the leading entity are responding “very well”, with estimated reservation figures between 10% and 12 %. compared to last year.
For Méndez, the fact of having five days of vacation is “without a doubt” favoring hiring and is “perfect”, for example, for visiting the main European capitals and, very particularly, the Christmas markets, which “is a type of “A trip that has acquired a notable boom in recent years and is greatly energizing the cities.”
Christmas markets
Once again, European Christmas markets become a travel tradition on these dates, and, according to CEAV, the most in-demand countries are once again those of Central Europe, with their typical markets in cities in Germany, Austria, and Poland. and Czech Republic.
In addition, the most renowned capitals in Europe are also present in the preferences of Spaniards, such as London (United Kingdom), Paris (France), Rome (Italy) and Amsterdam (Netherlands).
Destinations aimed at family tourism are also gaining strength. During these pre-Christmas dates there are destinations such as Disney Park and special programming for Lapland, which “are having a very high level of demand,” confirmed Lastra.
In the case of UNAV, the most requested destinations in recent weeks have been, for example, cities such as Budapest (which in 2022 was chosen as the best Christmas market in Europe), Salzburg (Switzerland), Tallinn (Estonia) and Innsbruck (Austria). . The markets in Berlin (Germany), Vienna (Austria), Colmar (France), Krakow (Poland), Basel (Switzerland) and Copenhagen (Denmark) have also had a lot of success this year. In addition to Lisbon, Paris, London and Rome, at a national level, Madrid and Barcelona, along with the islands (the Canary Islands, especially), are being the most in demand.
