European Hotel Prices Surge Ahead of Total Solar Eclipse

Hotel prices have surged across Europe as tourists travel to view the first total solar eclipse visible from the continent this century. Data from Lighthouse Intelligence Ltd. shows average room prices in Reykjavík, Iceland, rose 98% to $793, while A Coruña, Spain, experienced a 135% increase to $451.

The Government of Spain expects 460,000 overseas visitors and has deployed 35,000 police officers to manage traffic and mitigate wildfire risks. Due to extreme drought and a history of major forest fires this summer, authorities have banned barbecues, fireworks, and parking near dry vegetation. The València region has closed its natural parks and banned rural footpath walking to prevent ignitions.

Virginia Barcones, secretary general for civil protection and emergencies at Spain’s interior ministry, mandated these restrictions to prevent any activity that could generate a spark. To accommodate those unable to travel, NASA installed four high-powered telescopes in Villalibado, Spain, to livestream the event to an estimated 10 million people.