Holiday rental website HomeAway has reported a rise of 19% in rental enquiries for Spain for the Christmas and New Year period this year.
Its figures are based on online searches for renting on the period from 20 December to 7 January and indicate that it could be a bumper winter for homeowners in Spain who let their homes out.
The numbers of enquiries from people in Spain was up by 35%. Some 41% of searches from Spain were for destinations within the country, which the company suggests is an indication of an improving economy.
Destinations with a traditionally good winter climate perhaps unsurprisingly topped the popularity list, namely Catalonia, Valencia, the Canary Islands and Andalucia. In fact, enquiries about Catalonia were up 88% on the same period in 2013 while the Canaries saw a 75% rise. Three quarters of UK enquiries for the festive period were for the Canary Islands, renowned for their year-round sunshine and temperate climate.
Spanish enquirers looking outside their own borders favoured France, followed by the USA and Costa Rica, while Germans preferred to head to the Balearic Islands.
