The Brits avert the crisis

British  tourists have saved the day for the  hotel industry on the Costa Blanca. Sixty five percent of the available spaces for the winter have been taken up by British tourists who made their bookings before the crisis hit the UK.  The industry is counting on the rest been taken up by Spanish pensioners who still have enough money to afford long stays in places like Benidorm.

The Volvo Ocean Race brought a bonanza to Alicante but that is now finished. Business trips and clients associated with the real estate boom have also largely gone. Inspection trips for people looking to buy second home along the coastal strip between Dénia and  Pilar de la Horadada are at a minimum.

So it is now down to British tourists who still see the Costa Blanca as a much more affordable destination than other Mediterranean areas.  A week in November at a three star hotel in Benidorm, full board, can be booked for 270 € per person or less in some cases.

As for next Summer; negotiations with British tourist companies are complete. Keeping price increases down to the 3% mark has proved successful in filling many of the available places and of course the Tourist Board is still exploring the Russian market by holding fairs in Moscow and St Petersburg.