Alex Trelinski
BRITISH tourists are booking more all-inclusive holidays to Benidorm as inflation continues to bite, according to UK tour operators and Benidorm hotel owners.
Convenience as well as rising prices is contributing to the rising trend in the city’s ‘English Zone’ according to tour operators- allowing fewer concerns for tourists about dining and eating costs.
UK bookings for the all inclusive option are rising according to the Costa Blanca Tourist board with 30.2% of travellers going down the all inclusive route.
That confirmed a prediction earlier this year from British Association of Travel Agents(ABTA) that one in three Brits travelling aboard this year would be taking all-inclusive packages.
Bookings to go ‘all-in’ rose by 40% among those aged 44 years and by up to 57% for young families.
A large number of Benidorm hotels are in the Rincon de Loix in the so-called ‘English Zone’ with the Servigroup chain operating seven hotels there, with full board the most popular option for its guests.
It said that up to 76% of daily reservations were made with lunch or dinner or both included, with other Benidorm hotel groups confirming the same trend.
Price is the key factor on full board packages, especially for people on a tight budget, making trips to local bars and restaurants less likely, though most visitors do choose to sample what the local hospitality industry has to offer- but not as much as before.
Bar and restaurant prices have gone up due to rising costs in electricity and raw materials faced by the hospitality sector.
The Benidorm hospitality association, Abreca, estimates prices have gone by an average of 6.4% in the last year, with average ‘Menu del Dia’ charges rising between €3 and €4 to reach up to €18 in tourist areas.
Some businesses have simply reduced their menus by offering one less dish for the same price, although they emphasise that ‘the quality has not decreased,’ according to one of the travellers.
Alcohol prices have risen in recent months but UK holidaymakers have pointed out that Benidorm is still ‘far cheaper’ than at home.
Graham and Susan Burton are on holiday in a Benidorm apartment: “We have not noticed that everything is much more expensive compared to last year, but though some items are up in price, its still a good price,“ they said.
