August 11, 2026 | 11:28 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hotel prices have soared and accommodations across Spain are selling out ahead of Wednesday's total solar eclipse, as hundreds of thousands of additional tourists prepare to travel to the path of totality.
The eclipse will pass over northern Spain toward the Balearic Islands, causing destinations in the country's typically less crowded northern and inland regions to experience a surge in tourism.
In Soria, Spain's least populous province and one of the best places to view the eclipse, the average price of a hotel room for Wednesday night soared to around 900 euros (approximately Rp18.7 million), compared to less than 150 euros (approximately Rp3.1 million) a week earlier, according to an analysis by the Spanish newspaper El Pais.
Carlos, the owner of Dauria Suites in Soria, told Spanish broadcaster RTVE that his hotel was charging between 250 and 260 euros (approximately Rp5.2 million-Rp5.3 million) for a room on the night of the eclipse.
The rates were about double the usual rate, but still significantly lower than those of many other hotels.
“You have to take advantage of the situation, of course, but not that much,” Carlos said, as quoted from Antara, citing Anadolu.
He warned that visitors who paid exorbitant prices might leave feeling like the hotel had taken advantage of them. The price hikes extended far beyond the Soria region.
With rooms largely sold out, average hotel prices in Zaragoza, León, and Burgos surged by more than 500 percent compared to a week earlier, according to El Pais. Prices in Palencia, Valladolid, Teruel, and Oviedo jumped by more than 240 percent.
Of the 23 provincial capitals analyzed along the path of the total eclipse, 21 saw price increases.
Valencia was one of the few cities where prices remained unchanged.
Residents in Spain's most populous cities, such as Barcelona and Madrid, were still able to see about 99 percent of the sun obscured.
However, the difference between a near-total eclipse and a total solar eclipse is dramatic, as only in the path of totality does the Sun disappear completely, causing sudden darkness and a noticeable drop in temperature.
The Spanish government estimates that the eclipse will attract an additional 446,700 tourists to areas within the path of totality from August 10-16, including 164,000 international tourists and 282,000 domestic tourists.
Overall, these visits are expected to generate additional tourism spending of 342.19 million euros, with foreign tourists accounting for more than 70 percent of the total.
The astronomical phenomenon itself will be brief, with totality lasting less than two minutes at the best viewing locations. However, the economic impact, particularly in rural Spain, could be much longer-lasting, according to Anadolu.
Read: Solar Eclipse in Europe: Best Viewing Locations and Times
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