- Alternative tourist apartments and rentals have grown 9.9pc this summer.
- Hotel overnight stays rose just 0.3pc in July 2026.
- The average hotel stay has fallen to 3.40 days.
- Over 38pc of domestic travellers have planned staycations.
- The trend has reflected a shift in consumer preferences.
Shorter hotel stays have directly correlated with a massive rise in alternative tourist apartments and vacation rentals, which grew nearly 9.9pc in overnight stays this summer season. The trend has reflected a shift in consumer preferences as travellers seek more flexible and cost-effective accommodation options. Alternative accommodation providers have benefited from the slowdown in hotel volume growth.
Spanish hotels recorded 44.8m overnight stays in July 2026, a rise of just 0.3pc on the same month in 2025. The alternative accommodation sector has grown significantly faster than traditional hotels. The average hotel stay has fallen to 3.40 days as travellers have shaved days off their trips to balance their budgets.
The growth of alternative accommodation has been driven by both domestic and international travellers seeking lower-cost options. High long-haul flight costs and general travel anxiety have pushed over 38pc of domestic travelers to plan staycations or short regional road trips instead of going abroad.
