Germans come back to Alicante

THE Costa Blanca is a favourite once more with German tourists.

The area is regaining the popularity that waned during the 90s, found Spain’s Tourist Promotion Board, Turespaña.

German tourists are particularly drawn to areas free of mass tourism, Turespaña said, particularly those with golf courses where they can play several hours a day, year-round. Last year Alicante Province courses were used by 120,000 German golfers according to figures from the Provincial Tourist Board.

Alicante Province’s German market will grow by 15 per cent this year, five per cent above the national average, Turespaña foresaw. The report pointed out that Germany has an unemployment rate of only 6.5 per cent and a Gross Domestic Product predicted to grow by one per cent in 2015.

Having overtaken Norway last year, Germany is now the Costa Blanca’s third most-important tourist market after UK and France.

The increase was also evident at Alicante airport, which was used by 800,000 German passengers in 2014.