One of the most important music events in Europe, the Eurovision Song Contest, is already starting to be noticed in the number of reservations and requests for information from tour operators to travel to the capital of Portugal.
After the victory of the Portuguese singer Salvador Sobral in 2017, Lisbon will host the 63rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest this year. The semi-finals are on May 8 and 10, and the final will be held at the Altice Arena in Lisbon on Saturday, May 12.
According to data from the online travel agency eDreams, the percentage of Spaniards who will visit Lisbon during the week of the Eurovision is up by an incredible 79% when compared to the same week last year.
It’s interesting to note that last year the increase in numbers travelling to Kiev (Eurovision host in 2017) from Spain increased by 21%. The previous year numbers were up by 34% for people travelling to Sweden, and in 2015, it was at 26% for flying to Vienna. Lisbon’s proximity to Spain and the city’s many tourist attractions have meant that numbers have skyrocketed because of the Eurovision this year.
The huge demand for flights to Lisbon during the days around the Eurovision has led to an increase in the price of flight tickets by 18% when compared to tickets last May. The price hike has been particularly noticeable in Germany and Austria, where airlines have changed the prices due to the scarcity of seats and the fact that flights have been quickly filling up with eurofans. Flights from the two countries are now priced at between 257 and 369 euros.
If we focus on Spain, flight tickets cost on average €156, a 24% increase compared to this time last year. Italy is the only European country with lower fares than last year, 10% less, meaning flights cost, on average, about €150.
The most active and loyal eurofans, according to eDreams, who will travel to Lisbon are the French, followed by the Germans, Spaniards, British, Swiss, Italians, Belgians, and Dutch.
And if we break down the data by cities, at the moment it looks like most visitors to Lisbon will be coming from Paris (15%), London (6%), Lyon (4%), Zurich (4%) and Berlin (3%). Everything signals that Lisbon will be taking this year’s Eurovision motto (All Aboard) to heart and the city will be bursting at the seams.
