Storms and train cancellations hit Granada's tourism sector

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The provincial tourism federation is concerned about the economic impact particularly on accommodation throughout the province

Mercedes Navarrete

Granada

Friday, 6 February 2026, 11:26

The tourism sector in Granada is looking back at this time last year when the city's hotels and tourist accommodation were full thanks to good weather, the Goya film and television awards, the Sierra Nevada in full swing and restaurants fully booked for Valentine's Day.

However, a year later, the tourist sector in the whole province has gone from dream to nightmare with cancellations, no last-minute bookings and empty hotels due to the series of storms hitting Andalucía. Added to this is the lack of high-speed train services since the Adamuz tragedy.

Authorities have advised against unnecessary travel and many of the city's major tourist attractions have been closed - the Alhambra has reopened today, Friday 6 February. The Sierra Nevada ski resort is still out of action and roads remain closed.

"Hotels have very low occupancy, it was already a low week and this is added to the cancellations of customers who have decided not to travel because of the storm or postpone bookings for other dates," explains the CEO of DeLuna Hotels, Javier Tausía. He says that despite the low occupancy, the group's hotels are maintaining all services and looking after the few guests they have so that, if they can't go outside, at least the hotel experience is excellent.

The group's flagship hotel, the Gran Hotel Luna de Granada, took in 140 people who had to be evacuated from their homes in Dúdar, some of whom arrived "bewildered" and "in their pyjamas". The hotel made every effort to provide them with toiletries and maximum comfort in the midst of such a difficult experience.

Sierra Nevada ski resort

The provincial federation of hotels and tourism says that the sector is concerned and that the storms and trains add to an existing situation in the city "which already started with a structure of infrequent trains and less competitive timetables". The association went on to say, "If we add to this difficulty to reach the province the uninterrupted storms affecting Andalucía, which is the market on which the province depends the most this season, it is the perfect storm for the tourism sector."

"The regional tourist represents a substantial part of short breaks, so the cancellations from Andalucía are a big blow. An associate from the Altiplano told me that he, for example, has had two groups cancelled for the weekend, one from Seville and the other from Huelva. On the coast and in the city, 30-40 per cent of bookings are being cancelled," the association has explained.

The hotels in the Sierra Nevada remain open but with the resort closed, both on Thursday and Friday, occupancy is also minimal. According to the association "these circumstances have led to a temporary halt in activity and the cancellation of already scheduled trips. When the Sierra Nevada does not operate normally, not only the resort but the whole city loses a significant volume of overnight stays and associated consumption".

Among the hotels that are weathering the storm best are those focused on luxury, which are receiving a greater flow of international clients, who are either already in Granada or are having second thoughts when it comes to cancelling longer trips scheduled in advance. "At the moment we don't have many cancellations, but logically we are receiving calls from worried clients, not only because of the rain but also because of the situation of the trains and airports," says the commercial director of the Alhambra Palace, Ignacio Durán.

Rural getaways are also out of the question at the moment and the whole sector in the province is feeling the effects, with accommodation in the Alpujarra and the Geopark empty. "In Alcudia de Guadix we had a championship of the Andalusian children's football federation and everything is cancelled. Most places at this time usually receive Spanish families and couples and some foreigners but we have received a wave of cancellations," explains Natalia Guidoni, president of the association of tourist caves in the north of the province.