15:57
Spanish hotels are set to take on 60,000 more seasonal staff this year than they did last summer, an increase of 26%, according to figures presented today by the president of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels (Cehat), Juan Molas.
This means that hotels will be taking on some 290,000 extra employees this summer compared with 230,000 in 2010.
Hoteliers are hoping that 2011 will be better than last year, thanks in the main to the economic recovery in the main European markets and an important increase in Russian tourists (35% more bookings than last year).
Give the increasing affluence of foreign tourists, Molas warned Spaniards holding out for that last minute deal that they might be disappointed, as many places are already fully booked for the summer.
The home market, which accounts for 50% of the business in some areas and which is still undoubtedly being affected by the recession, is still a cause for concern amongst Spanish hoteliers, and prices are still very much determined by national demand.
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