This summer the Costa Blanca has become the top destination amongst Spanish tourists ahead of Andalucia with many hotels benefiting from a last minute surge in reservations. According to Javier García, the Chairman of Hosbec, Spaniards have turned to national destinations in order to fulfil the need to go on a holiday somewhere but without spending too much and without having to compromise on quality.

Hotels in the region closed with an average 90% occupation at the end of August which is 3% more than last year. Hosbec announced yesterday that Benidorm reached an average of 92% occupation of its hotels for the month of August and hoteliers expect up to 85% occupation for the first fortnight of September.

These are very positive results for the Costa Blanca within the current economic climate. However, many hotels have lowered their prices and hotels in Alicante obtain on average 58 euros per client which is twenty euros less than the average for the rest of Spain. Furthermore the hotel chain Magic Costa Blanca decided to give vouchers up to the value of 160 euros for school material for families staying in its hotels in order to tourists this summer.

Javier García said that the Costa Blanca had resisted the recession very well this summer especially since the results for 2009 were ‘irregular’. According to the Provincial Association of Alicante Hotels hotel occupation this summer is five points higher than last year.

The World Tourism Organization confirmed yesterday that on the whole Europe as a tourist destination is taking longer to recover than other continents. According to this organization tourism has only grown by 2% in Europe since January.