Restaurant bookings in Ibiza soar by 565.5% because of the solar eclipse

Restaurant bookings in Ibiza have soared by 565.5% with three months still to go before the solar eclipse, according to data provided by CoverManager, Spain’s reservation and events management system. Across the country, bookings at establishments in the areas with the greatest visibility of the astronomical event have risen by 880%.

Specifically, bookings for 12 August are already 13% higher than those for the previous Wednesday nationwide, with a 5.5% increase in the total number of diners. Online bookings now account for 71%, compared with the usual 65% on comparable dates, reflecting earlier and more digitalised planning.

In addition, the average group size has risen sharply to 5.49 diners per booking, well above the sector average of 3.2, highlighting the social and experiential nature of the event.

The growth is particularly concentrated in the regions through which the eclipse’s path of totality will pass. Galicia stands out most, with advance bookings multiplied by 19 after recording an increase of 1,800% compared with the previous week.

The eclipse route

In Castilla y León, growth has reached 1,150%, driven especially by key provinces on the eclipse route such as León, Burgos and Palencia. The Balearic Islands have recorded an increase of 460%, while Aragón has doubled its volume, with growth of 100%, led by Zaragoza and Huesca. Across these four autonomous communities, the average increase in bookings reaches 880%.

At a more specific level, the phenomenon is translating into particularly strong growth in destinations such as León, with 928.6%; Ibiza; Zaragoza, with 283.6%; Burgos, with 195%; Asturias, with 128.9%; and Mallorca, with 6.7%. It also shows how, in inland cities such as León and Burgos, where bookings are usually made only a few days in advance, the event has brought forward dining decisions by several months.