Jet2 boss warns Spain ‘hotel price is key for travellers’

Travellers are increasingly choosing a destination based on price, according to Jet2 chief Steve Heapy, which could pose problems for Spain’s hotel sector.

During a roundtable event at the Spanish embassy in London, Heapy said hotels had faced rising costs across staff, food and fuel over the last three years, which had pushed up room rates.

“The cost of a hotel has gone up 30% in the last three years but average salaries have not gone up by that, so price is becoming more and more important,” he said.

A key reason for last year’s overtourism protests was a lack of affordable housing for residents, he said, with the issue having a knock-on effect on hotels.

“Many hotels are struggling to find enough staff to work in them because the cost of accommodation is too high,” he said, adding that some hotels were transforming old apartment blocks into staff accommodation.

The staffing problem meant hotels would potentially operate with a lower quality of service, he warned.

“I would not want Spain to be perceived as a destination that is dropping in quality,” he said, adding it was “very encouraging” that political leaders were addressing the relevant issues.

The gap in quality between Spain and Turkey or other non-EU countries had closed over the years, he said.

Marco Pérez, the mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, said hotels in the area were not facing recruitment problems but workers were increasingly seeking a better work-life balance.

Addressing Spanish hotels’ offering, he said: “We follow European safety standards. If you have services that fulfil legislation, you have to pay for that.”