Spain is expecting to receive six million visitors for tonight’s total solar eclipse, as demand surges for destinations along the path of totality.
Flight bookings to airports along the eclipse path are up 25% year-on-year for arrivals between 7 and 12 August, according to the analytics platform, Amadeus Travel Intelligence.
Bilbao has recorded the biggest increase, up 366%, followed by Asturias (+292%) and Valencia (+137%). The US, Japan, Argentina and Canada are the leading long-haul markets driving demand.
Hotel prices have more than doubled, according to some media reports, with rates in Soria – one of the best places to see the eclipse – rising from less than €150 a week ago to €900, as reported by El Pais.
Travel Gossip reporter Louisa Woolf (pictured above) has a front-row seat on Virgin Voyages’ 12-night ‘Solar Eclipse: Barcelona to Rome’ sailing aboard Scarlet Lady, which is taking guests into the path of totality.
“Eclipse fever is building on board,” she said. “Guests are turning up to breakfast in customised eclipse T-shirts and being served ‘Stellar Corona’ eclipse-themed doughnuts.”
The onboard programme continues with a space-themed pub quiz, an astrophysicist talk from Dr Hakeem Oluseyi and a ‘Stand Up Science’ show from comedian Dara Ó Briain, who is also sailing on board.
The ship is due to be positioned in the Balearic Sea between Mallorca and Ibiza at the moment of the eclipse this evening.
Eclipse viewing glasses have reportedly sold out at pharmacies in areas along the path, while car hire at Barcelona Airport has been reported as fully booked. Roads heading south are also seeing heavy traffic and some train services have sold out, according to The Times.
Restaurants near the Ebro Delta, around 120 miles south of Barcelona, have been taking eclipse bookings for more than a year, with the eclipse set to appear over the sea before seemingly dropping towards the horizon.
The event is also driving demand for less traditional tourist destinations, with travellers being directed towards inland areas offering prime viewing conditions.
The 12 August eclipse is the first total solar eclipse visible from mainland Spain since 1912 and is the first of three total eclipses within three consecutive years set to pass over parts of the country.
This phenomenon that could establish the country as Europe’s leading destination for eclipse tourism, according to Spanish officials.
Miguel Sanz, General Director at Turespaña, the Spanish government’s agency responsible for promoting tourism, said: “International interest in the eclipse is already clearly evident.
“The total solar eclipse we will experience in Spain this year – which will be visible almost exclusively from Spain – along with those in 2027 and 2028, positions our country as the world’s leading astronomical destination in the coming years.
“This ‘Trio of Eclipses’ will also serve as a catalyst to bring international visibility to regions and tourism products linked to astronomy that extend beyond the event itself, positioning inland destinations and rural areas as ideal settings for new experiences in nature, science, and cultural tourism, thereby contributing to a more balanced distribution of tourist flows across the country.”
