Women’s Champions League makes the most of Bilbao hotels

Women’s Champions League makes the most of Bilbao hotelsOscar Gonzalez

Bilbao has signed up for major sporting events. After overcoming the post-Covid stage, the capital of Vizcaya has picked up cruising speed and gathers for international events every year. After a controversial last-minute cancellation of the 2020 European Cup to be held in 2021 due to health measures taken to combat the pandemic, it unified the European Multisport Triathlon Championships in 2002.start of the Tour de France in 2023 and this weekend it’s the Women’s Champions League final. This is a hosting wait. in 2025 there will be another great football final – the Europa League.With hope that Sports jump onto the lawn of San Mames. The same stadium that today hopes to be almost full for the match between Barcelona and Olympique Lyonnais. About 50,000 people will need a place to stay. “Tomorrow, On the day of the game, the occupation will be, as they say, complete. While it may not reach 100%, it will be above 95%. Hey“Even this Friday in Bilbao and throughout Vizcaya there will also be very good figures,” he notes. Joseba Goirigolzarri, President of the Bilbao Destino Hotel Association.

Connected

Hotels in the city get used to receiving avalanches of bookings for very specific dates every year: “What happened this weekend corresponds to what the start of the Tour de France could have been. But We must not lose sight of the fact that we are talking about an event that lasts one day. And we offer rooms every day of the month. Sunday will again be a normal day, with occupancy in the city not even reaching 40%. “This is normal data.” At least Goirigolzarri is pleased that in May, in addition to the Women’s Champions League final, two medical congresses will be held: the Spanish Society of Transplantology, which will take place from May 10 to 12, and the National Congress of Retired Doctors, which will take place from May 30. and June 1, “they help us ensure good occupancy not just for one day, but throughout the month.” And right after that, From June 3 to 7, one of the main events of the Vizcaya hotel sector will take place: the Biennale of Machine Tools at the BEC: “Although all the events that take place in Bilbao are interesting, this one is more interesting for us because it lasts five days. ”

All this on the threshold of summer, which promises good expectations, and also thanks tor meetings are already consolidated as visitor magnets, e.g. mainly festival BBC Live And Aste Nagusia. “Now Every summer we see an increase in the number of travelers, We’re doing very well, but we’re going through the pandemic and post-pandemic years where we had some very tough times with a very noticeable decline. We have not yet reached the occupancy and average prices that we had in 2018 and 2019. This is a milestone for us; those years were truly record-breaking,” emphasizes the President of Bilbao Destino.

The Hotel Sector Barometer in a recent study showed that Bilbao became the second city in the state after Malaga in which house prices rose the most in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year, by 18.8%. This data, according to Goirigolzarri, does not give a clear picture of the real situation in the city: “January, February and March are the three worst years of the year at the hotel level. The increase was 18.8% because we came from a very small number. If we talk in absolute numbers and about the whole year as a whole, we are far behind in terms of average prices from cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Donostia, Valencia… This is what we are focusing on.”

Those who do Accommodation prices in Bilba have increased significantly tomorrowor. Someone who wants to get a double room at the last minute in a three or four star hotel will have to dig deep into their pocket and pay, usually between 300 and 400 euros, according to what is reflected in the well. a well-known accommodation booking portal. These rates are more than double compared to another regular Saturday, such as June 1 of the following year. This is reminiscent of what happened in the capital of Vizcaya at other important events, such as the European Champions League final and the Rugby Challenge Cup in 2018, which eight years later, in 2026, will return to Bilbao, giving continuity to the series. major international sporting events that began after the pandemic. “This is something common that can happen in any city and at any event in the world,” Goirigolzarri emphasizes. In his opinion, this has nothing to do with the sky-high price increases that were observed in Seville over On April 6, one day it became known that Athletic was going to play the Cup final at the La Cartuja stadium: “The price there has increased already due to the fact that it was Sports classified. This has nothing to do with the sales that are happening in this case in our city. Now, if Chelsea had played in the final and not Barcelona, ​​prices would not have changed so much.”

GOOD TIME

The hospitality sector will be another big beneficiary to celebrate the Women’s Champions League final. “This event is not comparable in size to others that took place in Vizcaya, such as the start of the Tour last year. But many people are going to come and populate the streets, in addition to those already passing through the usual tourist flow, which leads to increased economic activity” – says Hector Sanchez, manager of the Vizcaya Hospitality Association, with satisfaction.

And if that wasn’t enough, Forecasters promise good weather Maximum temperatures could reach 25 degrees tomorrow with no rain expected. Finding a free table on the terraces in the center of Bilbao will be a Herculean mission. “The fact that the climate is favorable is a plus. Visitors will be able to enjoy our gastronomy and our lifestyle the way we like it, on the street and with friends,” Sánchez congratulates himself.

Except, the fact that the game is played at six o’clock in the afternooncompared to the more nightly schedule adopted for men’s football grand finals, there will be encourage more activity in bars and restaurants According to the manager of the Biscay Hospitality Association: “This is a very good hour. This allows you to eat and even have something to drink before heading out onto the pitch, and continue to enjoy the party after the match.”

Sánchez is confident that not only Bilbao will benefit from the flow of visitors who will arrive this weekend, but will also have an impact on other municipalities of Vizcaya: “We are a small area and a person who comes to Bilbao does not have to travel long distances to enjoy others tourist attractions. If Bilbao attracts and attracts, the rest of the territory will benefit.”.

Beyond the economic activity this final could generate, for Sánchez, “what is important for the visibility of women’s football is that this match is in Bilbao and that we are talking about football that women play on weekends.”