Alex Trelinski
COSTA Blanca tourism chiefs will start a new campaign this December to woo back British holidaymakers to the region.
The strategy was unveiled on Monday at the World Travel Market expo in London.
A joint plan has been put together by the Costa Blanca Tourist Board along with the Benidorm-based Hosbec hoteliers association; the Visit Benidorm tourist body; and the Valencian regional government.
Tourist Board and Alicante Provincial Council president, Carlos Mazon, was one of the hosts of a presentation along with Hosbec president, Toni Mayor(pictured above).
That was followed by face-to-face discussions with tour operators at the ExCel conference centre.
Carlos Mazon said: “This is a turning point in reactivating the flow of British visitors in the post-COVID era and to show they are going to a reliable and safe destination.”
The aim is to get 2022 UK tourist numbers back to where they were before the pandemic.
The major foreign market for the Costa Blanca is the UK which accounts for around 40% of visitors in normal pandemic-free circumstances.
British arrivals in the Valencian Community last year totalled 585,159- around a fifth of the 2019 total.
A big promotional push begins next month and will continue into the New Year via tour operators and travel agencies.
“All of the analysis suggests that there will soon be a resurgence of British tourist numbers in Spain and especially on the Costa Blanca thanks to vaccinations and an increase in air routes, added Mazon.
“When that time arrives, we will be ready with a complete package that extends beyond beach-based holidays, as we encompass culture, scenery, gastronomy, sports and leisure, all with maximum health safety.”
Image Credits: HOSBEC and Costa Blanca Tourist Board
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