Hotels in Benidorm on Spain's Costa Blanca realistic about the return of British holidaymakers

CAUTIOUS: Hosbec will concentrate on strategy for domestic market short term.

As the biggest tour operators for the British market offer flights to Spain’s Costa Blanca from mid-June, Benidorm’s hotel industry says it is not confident travel restrictions will be lifted by then, and is concentrating on ‘the national market in the short term’ instead.

TONY MAYOR, President of the Valencia Community’s hotel employers’ association, Hosbec, said they are aware Jet2, easyJet and TUI are selling flights for mid-June, but said “the sector is not confident that they will be able to arrive this summer, and will continue thinking about its strategy for the national market in the short term.”
Mayor pointed out “tour operators need liquidity after a rather black and long period,” and told Alicante Plaza that, for now, “the scheduled trips that have had to be cancelled, will be postponed because many companies do not have the possibility of returning the money to the client.”
Mayor said “airlines are still struggling with uncertainty,” but Jet2.com is “offering flights matched on its website to stays in hotels and apartments, among others, the Meliá, Poseidón and RH groups,” said Mayor, “however as we said, the expectations in the sector for the international tourist are few.
“For now, what is clear is that the government is not planning to recover international flights until the end of the de-escalation, which is expected to be the end of June, if everything goes well,” he added.
“In addition, the initial forecasts marked October as the month to open the borders for leisure (for Spain). However, a European regulation is being prepared to re-establish the flow of planes between countries,” said Mayor.
 

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Tara Rippin

Tara Rippin is a reporter for Spain’s largest English-speaking newspaper, Euro Weekly News, and is responsible for the Costa Blanca region.
She has been in journalism for more than 20 years, having worked for local newspapers in the Midlands, UK, before relocating to Spain in 1990.
Since arriving, the mother-of-one has made her home on the Costa Blanca, while spending 18 months at the EWN head office in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol.
She loves being part of a community that has a wonderful expat and Spanish mix, and strives to bring the latest and most relevant news to EWN’s loyal and valued readers.

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