Tourism across the Costa Blanca enjoyed its strongest April on record in 2026, with hotel and apartment occupancy reaching 82.3%, according to figures released by APHA, the Provincial Association of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation.
The figure represents an increase of 4.1 percentage points compared with April 2025 and sits 11.3 points above March levels, confirming a particularly strong start to the spring season for Costa Blanca tourism.
Alicante city and Playa de San Juan near full capacity
Some of the province’s most popular destinations recorded exceptionally high occupancy levels during April.
Alicante city reached 89.5%, while Playa de San Juan climbed to 93.4%, close to full occupancy.
Other Costa Blanca destinations also posted solid results:
- Santa Pola: 75%
- Guardamar del Segura: 72%
- Algorfa: 63.6%
- Moraira: 61%
British tourists remain the biggest international market
International tourism continued to dominate visitor numbers across Alicante province, accounting for 81.8% of all guests during April.
British tourists remained the largest overseas market by a considerable margin, representing 27.8% of all international visitors.
Other important markets included:
- Ireland: 6.8%
- Poland: 5.8%
- Norway: 5.6%
- Germany: 5.4%
- Sweden: 5.2%
- Netherlands: 4.7%
- France: 4.6%
Among Spanish visitors, the largest numbers came from Madrid, followed by the Valencian Community and Cataluña.
Strong May forecast for Costa Blanca tourism
Forecasts for May also remain positive.
APHA’s predictive model, developed together with the Chair of Tourism Ciudad de Alicante, estimates occupancy levels of 83.9% for May 2026, almost identical to last year’s figures.
The May Bank Holiday weekend also exceeded expectations, with hotels and tourist apartments reaching 90.58% occupancy between 1 and 3 May.
Alicante city climbed to 96.97%, while Playa de San Juan almost completely sold out at 99.5%.
Meanwhile:
- Coastal and beach areas averaged 70.25%
- Inland tourism reached 77.05%
Costa Blanca tourism promotion targets Slovakia
Alongside the positive occupancy figures, APHA has also continued promoting Alicante province internationally.
This week the organisation participated in a tourism promotion event in Bratislava alongside Turespaña, Costa Blanca Tourism Board and airline Wizz Air, aiming to strengthen Alicante’s presence in the Slovak market.
The event included meetings with Slovak travel agencies and hotel associations, as well as presentations showcasing the Costa Blanca’s hotel, gastronomy and tourism offer.
Several hotel stays across the province were also raffled during the event, while chef José Manuel López Iglesias prepared a menu featuring Alicante products with Slovak influences.
APHA says the initiative forms part of a wider public-private strategy to strengthen Costa Blanca tourism across Central Europe.
