🏝️Holiday? What holiday?

#093

Jack Ellis
July 27, 2025

An article in The Times caught my eye this week.

The title of which was, “Why Spaniards can’t afford holidays in their own country.”

Below is the article summarised in 10 bullet points:

1. Spanish beach holidays have become too expensive for many locals.

A apartment for two-weeks that once cost €1,200 can now cost the same, or more, for just one week.

2. More Spaniards are choosing to go abroad instead.

In 2023, international trips by Spaniards rose 12%, while domestic travel dropped 0.8%, as holidays in other countries often work out cheaper.

3. Spain is attracting record-breaking international tourism.

With 94 million foreign visitors last year, Spain is on track to overtake France (100 million) as the most visited country in the world.

4. Over a third of Spaniards can’t afford a proper holiday.

Many households are priced out of even a one-week vacation, squeezed by rent, bills, and rising food costs on top of low wages.

5. Travel and accommodation prices are rising fast:

Since 2021:

Hotels: +50%
Flats: +37%
Rural stays: +10%
Campgrounds: +11%

6. Travel costs per person are up nearly 43%.

Average holiday spending has jumped 42.7% since 2021, despite trips staying roughly the same length (about one week).

7. Eating out and getting there is also more expensive:

Dining out: +21% in four years
Domestic flights: +8.8% (Jan–Apr 2024)

8. Locals are being pushed out of tourist areas.

In some regions, short-term holiday rentals now account for 50% of all housing, inflating property prices and fuelling social tension.

9. Anti-tourism protests and “tourism fatigue” are growing.

Cities like Barcelona and towns in Mallorca report graffiti, demonstrations, and growing frustration from residents who feel their home is being turned into a theme park.

10. Even businesses are feeling the strain.

A BBVA report notes signs of a tourism slowdown, with fewer tourists spending less in places like Barcelona and restaurants in Mallorca reporting empty tables and too many staff.

International trips by Spaniards are rising

This week’s three tips:

SOMETHING TO AVOID 🫣

🤦🏻‍♀️ “The prices are more higher”

This is a double comparative, and it’s wrong. You can’t use more with adjectives that already have a comparative form (like higher, bigger, smaller, etc.)

Use more only with long adjectives (usually two syllables or more):

Holidays are more expensive this year

This destination is more affordable than that one

✅ “The prices are higher”

Just use the comparative form, ending in -er:

Hotels are cheaper in winter

Your English is better than last year

SOMETHING TO SOUND CONFIDENT 🧐

👔 Business expressions

“Paywall”

A paywall is a system that restricts access to content (such as news articles, videos, or online courses) until the user pays for a subscription or one-time fee.

This is why I didn’t share the article with you. It’s behind a paywall.

Many newspapers use paywalls to generate revenue

SOMETHING TO DO 👀

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