Hotels across the Costa Blanca closed August with strong occupancy numbers, confirming that tourism in the region is on steady ground.
The main destinations have either matched or beaten last year’s performance, leaving the sector with a very healthy balance sheet and plenty of happy hoteliers.
Benidorm: The star of the show
Benidorm, never shy of the spotlight, has once again proven itself the star of the show. According to figures published by Hosbec, the city topped the regional table with an impressive 93% occupancy in August, making it the clear leader in an increasingly crowded market.
Tourists from Spain and abroad continue to pack its hotels, suggesting that Benidorm’s mix of beaches, nightlife and “Brits abroad” appeal still works wonders.
During the second half of August, hotels in Benidorm reached 93.2% capacity, just nudging ahead of 92.8% at the same time in 2024. For the whole month, occupancy stood at 92.9%, compared to 91.3% last year.
The visitor mix tells an interesting story. Spaniards accounted for 37.5% of arrivals in the back half of the month, while the British made up 31.6% and the Portuguese 15%.
Domestic tourism dipped by nearly four percentage points compared with last year, but this was neatly balanced by more guests from the UK and Portugal, both gaining over three points each.
Breaking the results down by hotel class, four-star establishments had an especially good run, reaching 94.2% occupancy in the second half of August. Three-star hotels were not far behind on 92.3%.
Looking ahead, September is off to a promising start. Bookings for the first half of the month are already at 89.2%.
The wider Costa Blanca
Elsewhere on the Costa Blanca, August was also a record-breaker.
The provincial average reached 91.4%, up 1.3 points from 2024, with Calpe (93.4%) and Altea (94%) even managing to outshine Benidorm.
The domestic market still dominates the Costa Blanca, representing 64.2% of visitors in the latter half of August. The UK followed with 10.3%, then France (4%), the Netherlands (3%) and Belgium (2.8%).
Further south, Brits were even more visible at 12.6%, joined by a stronger showing from the French (5.7%) and Portuguese (4.2%). As for hotels, four-star properties averaged 92.9% and three-stars 92.3%.
The southern part of Alicante province was a touch quieter, posting 87.3%, though still keeping a decent balance between categories.
Looking to September, bookings are holding up nicely: the Costa Blanca is at 83.3% confirmed, while Alicante South sits at 80.9%.
With international visitors growing and the hotel offering holding strong, the province is well placed to keep its sun-and-sand crown.
