Seville has become accustomed to organizing different events on the same day that attract locals and tourists. An accumulation of activities which tests the reception capacity of the Seville capital in its accommodation. In this sense, a study … Airbnb, prepared by PwC, reveals that the hotel supply in Spain is insufficient to meet demand during the high season or during large-scale events. Moreover, They are focusing specifically on April 25, when the Copa del Rey final is due to coincide at the Cartuja stadium and the Seville Fair on Saturday.to which is added the MotoGP Grand Prix of Jerez.
At the national level, it is indicated that between 2018 and 2023, the influx of tourists in July and August was 18% higher than hotel capacity. It is intensifying especially in coastal areas, in autonomous communities such as Cantabria or Valencia. In Andalusia, according to this study, the occupancy limit would have been reached at 99%. In anticipation of Feria Saturday 2026, as this newspaper has already published, the Seville Hotel Association and the province consider it “logical” to change the day of the match. “The ideal would be to be more relaxed, to serve people better and with better prices,” its president explained to ABC. Nevertheless, If the date remained as it is now, “it could be faced”. Mainly because on the day of the final, in 2025, the capital Seville increased its population by 10% with more than 110,000 visitors. As for Saturday of the Fair, since it is the last day, the influx is generally lower than the daily average, which during the last edition amounted to 450,000 people. Although it has not yet been decided what will happen with the change of date, and it all depends on both the busy football calendar and the events in Seville, April 11 and 18 are considered possible alternatives.
It should be noted that during the weekend of April 26, when FC Barcelona and Real Madrid faced each other at La Cartuja, hotels have exceeded 95% occupancy. While two weeks later, Friday and Saturday of the Fair, the occupancy rate was 80% in Sevillian establishments.
Limitation to tourist apartments
According to the latest data from the Seville City Hall Tourist Office, the city has 613 establishments open. Concretely, 271 hotels and 342 apartments total 35,910 beds.. The latter increased by buying them in 2024 by more than 20%. The hotel supply, although also experiencing frenzied growth, takes longer when it comes to new openings. Most of them are of a high level and will mean that from next year, only the “luxury” seats will exceed a thousand seats.
The growth in apartments is due to the limitation suffered by accommodation for tourist use last year in the capital Seville; since it was in October that the rule which dictates that VUTs cannot represent more than 10% of total residential properties in the region he was one year old. A measure which led to a 60% reduction in new licenses. This type of accommodation should not be confused with tourist apartments, which are usually entire blocks dedicated to guest accommodation, with, among other requirements, a reception and cleaning service.
Just a week ago the Andalusian government approved the Ley of sustainable tourism“specific regulations to combat clandestine or illegal activities, strengthening sanctions in a notable way”, as explained by the Minister of Tourism and Foreign Affairs of Andalusia, Arturo Bernal, in the presentation. This significantly strengthens the sanctions against illegal apartments, which in very serious cases can be punished with a fine of 600,000 euros.
However, from the platform they give the example of other Spanish cities where VUTs would have reduced professional demand during major events. They point out that Madrid would have faced a deficit of up to 20,000 seats on dates like the Taylor Swift and Duki concerts, the Mad Cool festival or FITUR. “Traditional accommodation alone could not absorb the influx of visitors on those dates,” they say. Next year, when the Formula 1 Grand Prix takes place in the capital, 93,000 visitors are expected, which will cause demand for accommodation to increase by 150% and without this type of accommodation, only 44% of demand could be covered.
The role of these houses suggests that it will be even more relevant in 2026, when Madrid will host the Formula 1 Grand Prix for three days. More than 93,000 visitors are expected, which would increase demand for accommodation to 150% of available hotel capacity. PwC estimates that, without short-term flexible supply, Madrid could only cover 44% of forecast demand, leaving more than 52,000 places unmet. Faced with the popular perception of this type of accommodation as something negative for the regions, Airbnb lists the “benefits for local businesses”. In Andalusia, according to the study, 87% of hosts recommended establishments located near their accommodation to their guests; 70% recommend visiting less crowded areas and around 48% of total guest spending (not including accommodation) was made in the neighborhood where the apartment is located.
About The Author
