Costa Blanca
The Valencian Community leads the growth of foreign tourism in Spain in 2024

The Valencian Community is leading the growth of foreign tourism in Spain in 2024, recording a year-on-year increase of 14% in the number of arrivals of foreign visitors and 21.3% in their tourist spending, thus exceeding the national average growth of 10.1% and 16.1% respectively.
According to the results of the surveys published this Monday by the National Institute of Statistics, and referring to Tourist Movements at the Border (Frontur) and the Tourist Expenditure Survey (Egatur), the Valencian Community has registered a record of foreign tourist arrivals for a year with 11,938,668 international tourists. In 2023, a total of 10.5 million foreign tourists visited the region.
The disbursement has also been historic with 15,1 billion euro in 2024. The market that has contributed most to this increase in accumulated foreign spending in the Valencian Community has been the British market, which has spent 3,3 billion euro from January to December, 23% more than in the previous year. It is followed by the French market, which has left 2,4 billion euro, 20% more year-on-year, and the Nordic countries, which, with 1,7 billion euro spent, have increased their spending by 35.1% year-on-year.
The regional minister for Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, Marián Cano, stressed that “these are the best results in the entire historical series, thus continuing the upward trend in foreign tourism in recent months”. She also stressed that “we have managed to close the year meeting forecasts, both in arrivals and in revenue, despite the adversities”.
For the head of Tourism, these results reinforce the importance and positioning of the Valencian Community as a top-level tourist destination in international markets, “we continue to be a destination open to the world,” she added.
Cano also highlighted the significant growth in tourism spending, which she says “will continue to evolve favourably in the Valencian Community in 2025, a year in which a new record is expected in this activity”. The councillor recalled that increasing foreign spending is one of the challenges that this Council has always had, and stressed that “we will continue with this commitment, since there is strength in demand; in addition, deseasonalisation will contribute to spreading it beyond the natural limits of the high season”.
She also wanted to underline the commitment of the Generalitat to “continue promoting the Valencian Community both in consolidated markets and in new emerging markets, such as the United States, China and Japan.”
Average spending and arrivals by market
In 2024, each foreign visitor spent an average of 1,271 euro in the Valencian Community, 6.4% more than the previous year, and with an average stay of 9.7 days, 2.7% higher than in 2023. The average daily expenditure stands at 131 euro, which represents a year-on-year growth of 3.6%.
By market, the most important nationality for the Valencian Community continues to be the United Kingdom, with the arrival of 2,944,576 Brits in 2024, 10.9% more year-on-year.
France is next with 2,259,403 tourists, 14.9% more than the previous year; the Nordic countries with 1,038,311 tourists, 19.9% more than the previous year; and the Netherlands, with 906,776 visitors, representing a growth of 16.6%.
In addition, the German market is expected to grow by 3% in 2024 with the arrival of 757,544 Germans and tourists from Italy reaching 589,268, 4.5% more than in the previous year.
December month results
In December alone, international tourists visited the Valencian Community in total, amounting to 667,825, spending 850 million euro, which represents a year-on-year increase of 2.2%.
In the same month, each visitor spent an average of 1,272 euro, 9% more than in December 2023; and spending per day reached 111 euro, 6.5% more year-on-year. The average length of stay among tourists was 11.5 days with 7.7 million overnight stays.
By market, the main emitters were the British, which grew by 3.4%, the French and the Nordic countries, the latter with a significant year-on-year increase of 59.4%. However, arrivals of Italian and German tourists were affected.
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Costa Blanca
Police arrested a man who sold a niche for 1,500€ that he didn’t own

An individual has been arrested by the National Police in the town of Elche, Alicante, on suspicion of engaging in fraudulent activities. An octogenarian woman had been sold a niche in the town’s historic cemetery in exchange for 1,500 euros. A niche is a small, above-ground space or recess, often within a cemetery wall or structure, where a coffin or urn is placed for burial or storage. As per the municipal registry, the victim was not the owner at the cemetery at the time she attempted to execute the change of ownership.
The investigation commenced following a complaint lodged by an 80-year-old woman from Elche. She met a man through her life insurance broker who offered to lease a niche in the old Elche cemetery for 1,500 euros.
Consequently, the victim met this individual at the same cemetery that housed the requested niche. There, the victim and the man concluded the transfer of the niche and executed a private contract that was signed by both parties, rendering the transfer effective.
The grantor of the niche transferred the deed and other ownership documents associated with it to the victim after the victim paid the agreed-upon amount.
The victim, shortly thereafter, visited the municipal registry of the city to change the ownership. She was told the change was impossible because the person who gave her the property wasn’t the owner.
The officer who assisted the victim, however, attempted to mediate through a phone contact, despite this. She reported the incident to the National Police after the transferor hung up and ceased answering calls from both the officer and the victim after she explained the case to him.
After conducting the necessary investigations, the officers responsible for the case located and apprehended the suspect for the alleged fraud.
The investigation has been assigned to the Road Safety Investigation Unit of the Benidorm Armed Forces. The driver was subjected to alcohol and substance tests by members of the group, and the area was inspected to collect evidence that would help to resolve the tragic accident that claimed the lives of a family. The driver was apprehended subsequent to preliminary investigations.
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Five injured in a two-car accident in Elche

According to the Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium and the Emergency Information and Coordination Centre (CICU), an accident between two vehicles on Avenida Algoda in Elche resulted in the injuries of five individuals: a 30-year-old man, a 19-year-old man, and three minors aged 16 on Saturday, April 19th.

A SAMU unit, an SVB, a conventional ambulance or public transport unit, a command headquarters unit (UMJ), a heavy urban fire department (BUP), a rescue van (FSV), a sergeant, a corporal, and six firefighters from the Elche fire station were dispatched to the scene upon the receipt of the call at approximately 11:35 p.m.
The driver of one of the vehicles was successfully extricated by firefighters (see above.) All of the injured sustained injuries and were transported to the General Hospital in Elche and the Vinalopó Hospital in Elche.
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“Drug Supermarket” in Denia closed by Police

Four individuals have been apprehended by National Police officers in Dénia (Alicante) for the “indiscriminate” sale of drugs under the guise of a purportedly legitimate association. Over four kilogrammes of marijuana, cannabis, cocaine, and distribution materials were confiscated during the search.
The investigation began following the identification of a potential clandestine drug trafficking organisation. According to a statement from the police headquarters, the establishment was experiencing a consistent flow of individuals at various periods of the day, despite the absence of any sign or apparent commercial activity.
The officers initiated procedures to confirm the status of the establishment in conjunction with the Judicial Police and Citizen Security Units. They verified that the establishment did not have any activity records registered at the regional level during the inspections.
They also confirmed that the establishment’s basic supplies were registered to someone possibly linked to the criminal community. The association’s manager also had a criminal record.
The police conducted a “discreet” operation that verified the regular sale of narcotics at the establishment. Lines formed outside the establishment to purchase drugs on certain days, “as if it were a genuine drug supermarket.”
“Once we obtained the necessary judicial authorisations, we conducted a search. The search revealed numerous containers labelled with marijuana, zip-lock sacks containing the same substance, and pre-made homemade cigarettes. Cocaine was consumed in some areas, and some narcotics were hidden in appliances and furniture,” said the police.
The authorities confiscated over four kilogrammes of marijuana, a lesser quantity of hashish, and a small quantity of cocaine. The search resulted in the arrest of two males, aged 42 and 22, respectively.
Despite a court order sealing off the premises, the investigation continued in an effort to identify the remaining suspects. Shortly thereafter, Denia police apprehended two more males, ages 22 and 23.
An alleged offence against public health has resulted in the arrest of the four suspects. Two of the apprehended individuals had prior convictions for comparable offences.
The Denia Court of First Instance has been informed of all the proceedings.
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