Tourism chiefs have reported a frenzy in bookings ahead of the total solar eclipse which will be visible in parts of Spain and Mallorca in August.
An expected 10 million visitors will flood into Spain just to see the astronomical phenomenon which was last visible from the Iberian Peninsula in 1912.
The eclipse on August 12th coincides with peak season in Spain, when most families take time off to head on holiday. It is also the time when many towns and villages hold their local fiestas.
The path of totality — the narrow strip where the sun will be completely obscured by the moon — will cross Spain from west to east from Galicia in the north west, across central northern and eastern Spain to Mallorca.
The maximum duration of the total eclipse will be around 1 minute and 45 seconds in the best points.
It will also be visible in the southern half of the country, but only partially.
The event has caused a surge in bookings with hotels and private rental accommodation raising their prices to maximise on profits. Searches for bookings in the areas where it will be visible, especially in rural zones, have skyrocketed by 820%, according to Airbnb data.
Locations usually neglected by tourists such as Soria, Valladolid and Teruel have seen accommodation booked up to capacity already. Zaragoza reports that hotel capacity for that week has already reached 96%.
The Spanish Government forecasts that up to 10 million people could travel to rural parts of the country to see the eclipse.
Officials predict that this could be an unprecedented mobilization of people during peak summer season, posing logistical challenges for mobility, transportation and local services. But they also see it as a unique chance to promote “astrotourism” — tourism focused on astronomical phenomena — and strengthen the profile of Spain’s countryside and small towns internationally.
Click here to read more Travel News from The Olive Press.
