• 17% of Spaniards decide to spend their summer holidays at the end of summer

• The advantages are low prices, less crowding, and milder temperatures

• The black hole of tourism in the Middle East: the collapse of security diverts travelers to Spain

In 2025, 35% of Spaniards chose the month of August for their summer holidays according to the Season Report prepared by the National Observatory of Outbound Tourism (ObservaTUR). And although August remains the king of summer, this percentage below 40% for the second consecutive year reflects a ‘flight’ of tourists towards months with lower concentration.

The warmest months of the year are, in turn, those considered high season, precisely due to the increase in demand, both domestic and international. Furthermore, 25% of annual overnight stays correspond only to the months of July and August, according to INE figures; and in the same period, 100 million trips took place in 2025 alone. Even so, between June, July, August, and September of last year, 42 million arrived in our country.

On the other hand, September 2025 registered the all-time high for any month of September, being the choice of 17% of Spaniards to spend their summer holidays: an attractive month due to fewer crowds and, above lot, lower prices. However, the evolution in the changing habits of tourists in summer has already led many travel agencies and hotels to consider the entire month of September as high season, even more so considering last year’s 20% increase, according to data from the Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies. This change in trend is driven mainly by domestic tourism, responsible for 58% of hotel bookings in September 2025.

Among the main reasons why tourists opt for September, two are very clear: prices and lower concentration, although the latter increases as the demand rate rises. Another key factor is climate change, which forces many to wait for the arrival of September and cooler temperatures, which also implies a change in the choice of destination.

THE TACTIC OF “DYNAMIC PRICING” (REAL-TIME PRICE ADJUSTMENT ACCORDING TO MARKET CONDITIONS)

Tourism has underpinned the economic growth and development of the European Mediterranean for decades. Across the region, the sector employed more than 8 million people in Spain, Greece, Portugal, and Italy in 2023 and 2024, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Thus, the tourism sector represents nearly 17% of Portugal’s GDP, almost 13% of that of Spain and Greece, and 10% of Italy’s. Despite the decline during the Covid pandemic, figures have continued to grow, and international arrivals to the Mediterranean are 8% higher than in 2019, with the prospect of smashing any record, such as the one expected this year in Spain with the arrival of 100 million tourists.

It is logical then that visitors increasingly choose to travel on dates different from those of the vast majority as a response to several converging forces: economic (clearly falling prices), social (fewer crowds) and, in some cases like in summer, also environmental (less hot weather).

Regarding the economic factor, the travel agency Rumbo estimates a savings of 25% for holidays starting in September compared to the months of July and August, the most in-demand of the season. This is due to the common practice of dynamic pricing, a pricing system used mainly by hotels and airlines that regulates prices at any given time according to demand and competition, hence the high prices in high season and low fares in mid or low season. The company confirms that “air travel in September involves an average expenditure of 425 euros per person compared to the nearly 550 that the same flight costs the previous month.”

SLOWDOWN IN TOURISM CONSUMPTION

Spain faces the 2026 summer season with solid international demand, although marked by more moderate growth and a structural shift toward economic value over the volume of arrivals. According to trend reports published by Turespaña, the sector operates in a context conditioned by geopolitical uncertainty, the evolution of energy costs, and a general increase in travel costs that has heightened price sensitivity in traditional markets.

The main European source markets, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, show a stable demand pattern, but under greater caution in spending. This behavior translates into more advanced holiday planning and a trend toward shorter stays or destinations that guarantee a high perception of safety.

Despite the strength of Mediterranean competitors, Spain maintains its competitive advantage thanks to air connectivity at historic highs and a diversified offer that manages to retain the continental traveler. The driver of profitability for this campaign shifts toward long-haul markets and strategic profiles with high purchasing power.

The United States solidifies its position as the leading source market in terms of spending and resilience, supported by reinforced connectivity and a growing interest in cultural and gastronomic experiences.

To this dynamism are added countries like Switzerland, with record levels of average spending, as well as Canada, Brazil, and the progressive recovery of flows from China and Japan, key markets for reducing the seasonality of the tourism model.

Turespaña’s indicators confirm an underlying trend toward the economic sustainability of the sector, where growth is no longer measured exclusively by the number of visitors, but by their quality and financial impact.

Source: elEconomista