Alicante’s Tourism Boom: Foreign Visitors Inject €6.8B in First Three Quarters

Foreign tourism contributed up to €6.8B to the province of Alicante in the first three quarters of the year, according to a report from the Chamber of Commerce.

The study indicates that the tourism sector is experiencing accelerated growth, attributing the influx of new tourists to the opening of new air routes and the entry of new operators in the low-cost high-speed train.

The favourable evolution of employment in issuing markets, along with a prioritisation of travel spending, also contributed to the sector’s positive performance in the context of rising prices due to inflation.

The report estimates that 5.4 million foreign tourists visited the province of Alicante, resulting in 54.6 million overnight stays.

This represents a 25 per cent increase compared to the previous year and a 7 per cent increase compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic.

Each tourist spent an average of €1,254 during their holiday, with an average stay of ten days.

The United Kingdom remains the primary source of visitors, with 1.7 million tourists, indicating a significant recovery from the previous year.

However, its market share dropped from 44 per cent to 33 per cent compared to 2019.

This decline was offset by increased visitors from other European countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Poland, and France.

Regarding domestic tourism, an estimated 6.3 million visitors travelled to the province, with an average stay of 5.3 days and a spending estimate of around €748M.

The primary sources of domestic tourists were Madrid (1.8 million), the Valencian Community itself (1.4 million), and Murcia (1.01 million).

Approximately 60 per cent of the 33.5 million overnight stays occurred during Easter and summer, and tourists favoured lower-cost accommodation options.

The report cites a study by tourism lobby Exceltur, which concluded that the Costa Blanca is among the regions that have experienced significant increases in tourist income.