New Tourists

160,000 new tourists required, apply within. This is the number of new visitors needed to maintain the 85 % occupancy levels currently enjoyed by Benidorm hotels once the proposed 7000 or so new hotel places come on line next year.

Even with Benidorm's high annual tourist numbers it's obvious that a 160,000 increase is a mighty leap in numbers to cope with.

New markets in different countries are constantly being explored by the tourist authorities to attract visitors, but as the new hotel places are at the luxury end of the market, they are perceived as completely different from the town's traditional sun-sea-sand tourism.

13 March 2004 Stephen White.