August eclipse: €342 million in tourism and plenty of paranoia
The August eclipse will generate €342 million in tourism and boost hotel bookings by 17.8%. A look at the business and the eclipse glasses circus.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The August eclipse delivers hard numbers: €342 million and full hotels
Nobody is going to sacrifice babies to Baal. But the eclipse of August 10 to 16 has set in motion an economic machine with little metaphysics about it. The figures circulating point to 446,700 additional visitors in the affected provinces, €342 million in extra tourism spending and a €347.6 million contribution to GDP. Hotel bookings for August are up 17.8% year on year.
The other side of the coin: prices and antiestéticar
The phenomenon has two faces. The first is business: the eclipse has become a top-tier tourist draw. The second is speculation: some are selling cardboard glasses for €50, while others recommend X-rays or welding glass as a cheap alternative. The marketing is aggressive, to the point of frightening people with corneal burns in order to sell protection.
In between, the usual paranoia. Some see it as a mass distraction operation, another "guasonic plot". There is no evidence for any of that; what there is are figures that invite you to look at the balance sheet rather than the sky. The eclipse has already moved GDP, as was to be expected.
The short-term forecast is that the business will work. What remains to be seen is whether the glasses circus and the antiestéticar will be remembered as a one-off or become a new classic of Spanish tourism. With these figures, we will probably see it again.
Nobody is going to sacrifice babies to Baal. But the eclipse of August 10 to 16 has set in motion an economic machine with little metaphysics about it. The figures circulating point to 446,700 additional visitors in the affected provinces, €342 million in extra tourism spending and a €347.6 million contribution to GDP. Hotel bookings for August are up 17.8% year on year.
The other side of the coin: prices and antiestéticar
The phenomenon has two faces. The first is business: the eclipse has become a top-tier tourist draw. The second is speculation: some are selling cardboard glasses for €50, while others recommend X-rays or welding glass as a cheap alternative. The marketing is aggressive, to the point of frightening people with corneal burns in order to sell protection.
In between, the usual paranoia. Some see it as a mass distraction operation, another "guasonic plot". There is no evidence for any of that; what there is are figures that invite you to look at the balance sheet rather than the sky. The eclipse has already moved GDP, as was to be expected.
The short-term forecast is that the business will work. What remains to be seen is whether the glasses circus and the antiestéticar will be remembered as a one-off or become a new classic of Spanish tourism. With these figures, we will probably see it again.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (36 replies).
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