With the arrival of Air Berlin at El Altet airport in Alicante, there are high hopes for German tourism on the Costa Blanca. Now there are seventeen weekly flights to German cities directly via Palma de Mallorca and vice versa, where around fifteen thousand Germans make their way to Costa Blanca vacation for the winter season. El Altet has recently become the second busiest destination in Spain for Air Berlin alone, and local hospitality industries hope the Germans will replace the absent national tourists in the economic downturn. Foreign tourists number up to 2.3% last year at 4.7 million, in across the region of Valencia for the year’s first three quarters. However, this winter there has been an apparent decline in the number of national tourists with Elche reporting a 30% fall in its reserves and Benidorm has been saved with 80% occupancy levels, reported by the Imserso organized discounted trips for Spanish pensioners.
The Canary Islands are currently suffering from economic recession and Costa Blanca, which has been popular as the cheapest destination in Spain for British tourists no longer holds the name. Its Benidorm counterpart has taken booking levels up to 70% from its also large number of loyal British clients. As for the 73 new rules in the beach resorts of Benidorm, Holidaymakers are hit with a €150 fine when regulations are violated. One example is putting towels on deckchairs and then leaving the area to sleep in the hotel rooms. It comes as a relief to others who can now finally enjoy grabbing a decent spot and relaxing by the sea without all the claptrap reservations. Another rule also bans drinking beer on the beach for a €300 fine. Also, between the hours of midnight and seven in the morning, those who are caught drinking champagne are subject to a whopping €750 fine. However, the hoteliers by and large welcome the changes but call for flexibility and tolerance in their applications.