Alex Trelinski
HOTEL OCCUPANCY topped 90% in the Valencian Community in August, according to the Benidorm-based Hosbec hoteliers association.
The figures though were not a record which some tourism and political figures had been confidently predicting.
Benidorm itself recorded 92.2% occupancy last month- just 2.2% lower than record-breaking figures recorded in 2019 before the Covid pandemic.
Hosbec said that a strong influx of British and Portuguese visitors were responsible for boosting the August total.
International tourists accounted for 59% of people staying in Benidorm last month.
The British market dominated foreign tourists at 29.6% followed by Portugal(14.1%) and France a distant third on 2.3%
Hosbec pointed out that music events in areas like Alicante and Castellon acted as a welcome boost to local hotel bookings.
The Costa Blanca(minus Benidorm) reported 91% occupation in August- down just 1.2% on 2019, with two-thirds of hotel stays coming from non-Spanish residents.
Valencia City numbers were better than four years ago, reporting 89.4% occupation- up by 1.0%.
Hotel reservations for September are averaging around 84% so far across the Valencian Community.
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