Hotel prices in Europe jump before total solar eclipse
Hotel prices have surged in key European cities as hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to see the first total eclipse visible from the continent this century. Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík, has seen one of the biggest jumps in hotel room prices, being one of the few accessible locations to see the full eclipse before evening on Wednesday.
Tourists there have been shelling out $793 (£587) on average to secure a room on Wednesday, a 98% jump compared with the same day last year, according to data from the travel and hospitality data group Lighthouse Intelligence.
Spain is also steeling itself for an influx of tourists, as one of the best places on the European continent to view the total solar eclipse. The finance ministry said on Monday that it expected 460,000 overseas tourists to visit specifically to see the eclipse.
The rate for a room in A Coruña in the north of Spain was up 135% compared with last year to $451 on average, while prices in Mallorca, where the eclipse is expected to be visible on the horizon at sunset, were up by 24% at about $448. In Santiago de Compostela and Bilbao, hotel room prices have risen 34% and 67% respectively.
Accommodation in small towns and villages in the eclipse’s path, as well as makeshift observatories set up by local enthusiasts, have been booked for months. There have been reports of US travellers taking part in house exchanges with people living in Spain’s Castilla y León, which is one of the best regions to view the eclipse.