As it happened last year, this season European tour operators are hoarding hotels in the Balearic and Canary Islands, despite the rise in prices that generates the status of Spain as a refuge destination against its competitors in the southern Mediterranean. Although, this year some Spanish tour operators are putting the batteries to not run out of beds, others predict that will happen the same as in 2016. "This year is happening the same as last season. The German and British tour operators are hoarding many beds in the Balearic and Canary Islands hotels and leaving little availability to the Spaniards, "says Emilio Rivas, general director of touring Globalia, an area that leads Travelplan. Although it qualifies: "Although we have been foreseeable and we have also taken guarantees and deposits, although the prices, for all, are high". Meanwhile, Barceló Viajes sources indicate to this newspaper that this season "is presented very similar to the one of 2016, with difficulty of obtaining availability of beds for the Spanish market, and high prices". A difficulty that the German market does not have, which costs less to accept this price increase, and whose tour operators maintains a more traditional system with own charter flights, while Spanish tour operators bet on a model based on more dynamic packages and flights Low cost.

This is possible because of the different booking habits of the different issuing markets. While in Germany and the United Kingdom customers book travel agencies for their summer holidays months in advance, in Spain it is usual to book a few weeks before or even a few days, which makes it impossible for the tour operator or agency to take a risk With quotas.