Alex Trelinski
COASTAL hotels in the Valencian Community reported occupation rates of 84.43% over the Easter holiday weekend between Thursday and Sunday.
The survey carried out by Turisme CV says booking levels were up on predictions- nearly 5% higher due to late bookings.
Valencia’s regional tourism secretary, Francesc Colomer, highlighted the improvement in foreign visitor numbers after ‘a first quarter of the year where the increase in the international market exceeds that of 2019 during the same period’.
Nevertheless, the Benidorm-based Hosbec hoteliers association, though pleased with Easter occupancy, noted that British bookings in the resort were below expectation with the resort reporting occupancy at 86%.
The Costa Blanca average- excluding Benidorm- was 87.9%.
Hosbec president, Fede Fuster, said: “The British market has not yet recovered to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019 because if it had done so, Benidorm would have easily surpassed a 90% occupancy figure.”
Some businesses have expressed the view that the state of the British economy with double-digit inflation might prompt some UK families to not take hotel-based holidays this summer.
Though UK visitors dominate Spain’s foreign tourist market, Alicante-Elche airport says that carriers are offering 9% fewer seats to and from Britain this year compared to 2019.
Hosbec’s own report reflecting its member hotels showed that average occupation over Easter in the Valencia region was slightly higher than the Turisme CV figures at over 85%.
Alicante and Valencia both registered 90% occupation rates, while places like Cullera and Gandia were in the same range.
