Rural tourism in the regions of Girona expects to exceed 90% occupancy between Holy Thursday and Easter Monday, with particular movement in the Costa Brava, the Girona interior, and the Pyrenees. The forecast comes after a more moderate start to the holidays, with an occupancy of around 60% between March 27 and April 2.
The employers' association Turisme Rural Girona, which groups more than 240 accommodations in Girona, the Costa Brava and the Pyrenees, places these figures both in full rural houses and in establishments that work by rooms. The sector maintains a perspective of high activity for the central days of Holy Week and does not rule out that the current percentage may still grow with last-minute bookings.
More activity in the Costa Brava, the interior and the Pyrenees
The areas where more demand is concentrated are the Costa Brava, the interior of Girona and the Girona Pyrenees. In the case of the mountains, the snow season plays in favor of reservations, since the Girona ski resorts will maintain activity until after Easter.
The average general stay foreseen is five days and four nights, although for the strong core of the holidays the association reduces it to four nights. On the first weekend and in the first days of the holiday period European visitors are also expected, especially on the Costa Brava, with stays longer than five days.
Predominance of the Catalan client
Demand continues to rise and the bulk of guests will be local. Turisme Rural Girona estimates that 80% of visitors will be Catalan, mainly from Barcelona, Vallès Oriental, Vallès Occidental, and Osona.
To this clientele is added 5% of travelers arrived from Tarragona and Andorra, especially with destination to establishments of the Costa Brava. In the international market, the visitors foreseen for these first days will arrive above all from France, Holland, and Germany.
Without cancellations despite the international context
The association assures that, for now, it has not detected cancellations nor a decrease in bookings despite the conflicts in the Middle East and the rising cost of fuels. The sector interprets that a part of the clientele has reinforced the bet on proximity tourism, while some travelers have opted to postpone trips to Asia for later.
With this scenario, Gerundense rural tourism faces Holy Week with good prospects and with margin still to improve occupancy on the days of highest demand, especially if the last-minute bookings that usually concentrate in the final stretch of the campaign are maintained.