Corporate travel in Spain is “continuing to make up for lost ground” in 2023 with the number of trips in the first quarter back to 87 per cent of pre-Covid levels, according to figures from Spanish business travel association GEBTA.
The latest update from the GEBTA Business Travel Observatory, which is based on data covering more than 80 per cent of Spain’s managed business trips, found that the rebound in trips has steadily increased in recent quarters after being at just 60 per cent of 2019 levels in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Marcel Forns, general manager at GEBTA, told BTN Europe that spending on business travel in Spain was now at the same level as 2019 or “even slightly higher” due to the increase in travel prices.
“Corporate travel in Spain continues to show dynamism and resilience,” said Forns. “Although the number of trips is still below 2019 figures, Q1 data is extremely positive and confirms market dynamism without exceptions among all types of companies, regardless of size.”
Spain’s recovery has been primarily led by the SME market, where the number of trips in the first quarter of 2023 reached 95 per cent of 2019’s figures. Although larger corporates are catching up now at 81 per cent of pre-pandemic trips – an increase from 69 per cent in the final quarter of 2022.
GEBTA Business Travel Observatory charts the recovery in Spain's business travel market
Forns said that the resumption of trips by larger corporations had boosted both mid and long-haul travel, which have now recovered to 83 per cent and 85 per cent respectively. Domestic travel within Spain remains “stable” at 88 per cent of pre-Covid levels – the same figure as during Q4 of 2022.
He added that GEBTA was not expecting a full recovery to 2019’s total trip numbers during 2023.
“In terms of constant market - same companies/corporates as in 2019 - we think that there might be a small permanent loss of 10 per cent to 15 per cent,” said Forns.
“However, since the number of exporting companies in Spain is still quite reduced and that this should change in future, the number of total trips could increase in the mid-term and equal 2019 figures.
“We don’t see any barrier or any significant hurdle that could reduce travel. Recovery seems sound and the only question is whether the number of trips will continue increasing to equal 2019 figures, or if we are already close to the post-Covid threshold in terms of constant market.”
Forns added that GEBTA was trying to analyse a possible increase in the average length of hotel stay by Spanish corporate travellers but it does not have any definitive figures on this trend yet.