The Accommodation Determinants of Seasonal Patterns

Seasonal demand variations represent a central theme not only in the academic literature on tourism, but also in the domains of policy-making and practical tourism management. The literature review shows that there is a general agreement that certain demand characteristics like weather, school holidays or special events influence the shape of the seasonality. In order to present an alternative vision, this work explores which are the supply determinants of seasonality related to the accommodation services. The Balearic Islands (Spain) are used as a typical Mediterranean destination where seasonality figures are extreme. Results of the study show that those establishments with a high level of services tend to have a larger opening period during the year.