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The conselleiro of Culture and Tourism, Román Rodríguez, and the director of the Agency Tourism of Galicia, Nava Castro, presented this Monday the report “Dynamism of the hotel sector in Galicia 2009-2019” based on official data of the Galician Institute of Statistics (IGE) and of the Registry of Companies and Tourist Activities of Galicia (REAT).

It follows that the number of Galician hotels grew more than 8% in the last decade, going from 839 establishments registered in 2009 to more than 900 that exist today. As for the total number of hotel beds, our Community already has around 55,000, some 2,800 more than ten years ago.

Roman Rodriguez explained that the increase in the number of establishments was recorded in most categories of accommodation, achieving especially a greater evolution in four-star hotels, which grew more than 30%, something that reflects “the growing professionalism of the sector and its commitment to excellence.

In terms of hotel demand (hotels + pensions) the number of tourists staying in this type of establishments increased by 23% over this time. In addition, the number of overnight stays made was close to 8.5 million, representing a rise of 13.7%.

In the case of demand for different types of accommodation, the report provides data for 2018, indicating that 69% were registered in hotels. In other words, out of every 10 nights tourists spend in Galician establishments, 7 are in hotels.

The holder of Culture and Tourism of the Xunta noted that these data reflect the “specific weight” of the hotel sector in our economy, as well as its ability to adapt “to the changes of recent years” thanks to its ongoing commitment to improving quality and competitiveness.

Geographical distribution

The four provinces today have more hotels than ten years ago, especially A Coruña and Lugo, with an increase of 13.3% and 10.4%, respectively, followed by Ourense and Pontevedra, with a rise of 9.4% and 3.8%.

The province of Pontevedra leads the classification both in the number of places and in the establishments, with 25,780 distributed in 407 businesses. In second place is A Coruña, with 18,357 in 280 hotels. For its part, Lugo has 6,285 places in 127 establishments and Ourense with 4,538 in a total of 93 hotels.

The study presented also includes the footprint of the sector throughout Galicia. Thus, close to 59% of town councils have a hotel within their territory, while if we talk about hotel establishments in general (hotels + pensions) the figure is above 80%. “This shows the great implantation of the sector in all Galicia, with presence in rural and urban areas, in coastal areas and inland,” he remarked.

These figures, as Roman Rodriguez specified, allow progress “in two of the strategic lines of the Xunta in tourism,” such as the decentralization of supply and the deseasonalization of tourism, “favoring the arrival of tourists at any time of year to enjoy the different values of each territory.

In which respects the offer by municipalities, Sanxenxo is what accumulates a greater number of hotel beds followed by Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, A Coruña and O Grove. On the other hand, the indicator that measures the number of hotel beds per 100 inhabitants shows that the municipality with the greatest offer in relation to its population is Mondariz-Balneario, due to “the spirit of thermal tourism”.

More income and more competitiveness

118m, an increase of 10.2% compared to the same period in 2018. If this trend continues, it would end the year surpassing the turnover of last year, when it approached 300 million euros of income, 38% more than there is a five-year period. “We have a more profitable and competitive sector, capable of generating more quality employment throughout the year and throughout Galicia,” said the conselleiro.

MAT Plan for the Improvement of Tourist Accommodation

In the press conference held at the Hotel Oca Puerta del Camino, both leaders also announced the resolution of the call for aid worth 1.2 million euros to 70 establishments to undertake modernization improvements, accessibility or energy savings in the framework of the MAT Plan for Improving Tourist Accommodation, to which the regional government is allocating more than 5 million euros in two years.