A Coruña hospitality sector endures a dismal July despite packed streets
A Coruña's hospitality industry reports a terrible July even with the city full. Inflation, stagnant wages and tourists who don't spend in bars.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
A Coruña's hospitality sector suffers a black July despite a city full of visitors
July has been a disastrous month for bars and restaurants in A Coruña. The city was full of visitors, but the numbers don't add up. The industry itself sums it up bluntly: "It has been a terrible month." The World Cup gave some relief to venues with screens and those near María Pita square, but it did not make up for the rest.
The economic explanation points to a combination of runaway inflation and stagnant wages. Spending on eating and drinking out is one of the first indicators to suffer when households tighten their belts. The example of a coffee with ice at 2.30 euros illustrates the point: when the price hurts, the customer stays home. And it is not an isolated case, but the tip of the iceberg of a change in habits.
The tourist who no longer pays at the bar
The underlying debate is whether the city's tourism model is exhausted. Some argue that today's visitor arrives on a tight budget and prefers to buy at the supermarket rather than sit down in a restaurant. At the same time, a classic tension emerges: the city wants the tourist's money, but not always the tourist. This rejection of low-spending visitors is a current that exists in many destinations, and A Coruña is no exception.
An uncertain autumn
With the high season coming to an end, the sector faces a difficult autumn. If consumption does not recover, the crisis will translate into closures and staff cuts. Although in Galicia, as some point out, there are always those who think that abundance is for others.
July has been a disastrous month for bars and restaurants in A Coruña. The city was full of visitors, but the numbers don't add up. The industry itself sums it up bluntly: "It has been a terrible month." The World Cup gave some relief to venues with screens and those near María Pita square, but it did not make up for the rest.
The economic explanation points to a combination of runaway inflation and stagnant wages. Spending on eating and drinking out is one of the first indicators to suffer when households tighten their belts. The example of a coffee with ice at 2.30 euros illustrates the point: when the price hurts, the customer stays home. And it is not an isolated case, but the tip of the iceberg of a change in habits.
The tourist who no longer pays at the bar
The underlying debate is whether the city's tourism model is exhausted. Some argue that today's visitor arrives on a tight budget and prefers to buy at the supermarket rather than sit down in a restaurant. At the same time, a classic tension emerges: the city wants the tourist's money, but not always the tourist. This rejection of low-spending visitors is a current that exists in many destinations, and A Coruña is no exception.
An uncertain autumn
With the high season coming to an end, the sector faces a difficult autumn. If consumption does not recover, the crisis will translate into closures and staff cuts. Although in Galicia, as some point out, there are always those who think that abundance is for others.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (14 replies).
More summaries
-
Orzán Beach: when tourism collides with litter
Images of Orzán Beach in A Coruña, Spain, covered in trash have sparked debate over the economic cost of mass tourism and waste management on urban beaches.
-
Valencia's hospitality sector fills its beds, but with foreign tourists
Occupancy on Spain's Valencia coast is nearing 90%, but Spanish tourists are staying away over prices and heat. An analysis of the new tourism model.
-
Electric scooter fire in A Coruña leaves five homeless
An electric scooter fire in A Coruña left a family and landlord without homes. Who pays for damages and what insurance covers.
-
Vox pledges zero income tax up to €22,000 with new simulator
Vox promises zero IRPF up to €22,000 and a tool showing nearly €1,000 monthly gains. Critics cite a €50 billion cost without funding sources.
-
The price of affection: the money thresholds Spanish men set for finding a Latina partner
From threshold ages (25, 88, 100) to the price of affection: the economic dilemma facing older single Spanish men when it comes to relationships with Latin American women.
-
Natives first: the policy splitting Spain down the middle
The new PP-Vox deal in Castilla y León introduces 'national priority' in public services. Discrimination or common sense? The economic debate dividing Spain.