A survey carried out by Inloyalty, a firm which specialises in company loyalty programmes, has found that driving to destinations on the mainland is the preferred mode of holiday travel for Spaniards this summer.
Some eighty per cent of those surveyed said that they plan to travel within mainland Spain. Only around twenty per cent said that they intend travelling to the Balearics or the Canaries or to another European destination. Three-quarters said that their own vehicles will be the preferred means of transport; 38% said they will fly.
As for type of accommodation, 60% indicated that they will be staying in a hotel, 30% in an apartment, 24% in their own accommodation and 18% in rural houses.
Sixty per cent said that they will book one month in advance and 33% between 15 and 30 days in advance, with 26% indicating a preference for less than 15 days. Inloyalty suggests that this shows that uncertainty is causing people to delay booking due to the fear of possible cancellations or new travel restrictions. Free cancellation is the factor most valued when making a booking. This is followed by price offers, security, ratings by other customers and alterations to bookings at no cost.
Spanish tourists represent the third largest market for the Balearics - an average of between 16 and 17% of the total number of tourists per annum. For Mallorca, this percentage is lower - between 12 and 13%. In 2018, as an example, the total number of tourists who came to Mallorca was 11,947,382. Of these, 1,511,637 were Spanish.