The hotel organisation Hosbec revealed the most recent occupancy numbers for these accommodations for the month of May yesterday, Wednesday June 3rd. The results represent a large portion of the foreign market, which is predicted to outperform last year’s tourism figures for the same time period. At least for the destination of Benidorm.
The tourist hub of the Costa Blanca saw 66% foreign guests this month, “with the United Kingdom continuing its loyalty to this destination and now accounting for half of the tourists staying in hotels, compared to Spaniards, who stay at 34.5%,” according to the association. The city’s occupancy rate at the end of the month was 84.7%, which was seven-tenths of a percentage point higher than the same period last year. The second half of the month was especially impressive, with 86.8% occupancy, cementing the rising trend.
The destination has been running at full capacity all month, with hotel facilities nearly fully operational and “demand levels that reflect the loyalty of traditional source markets.” The British market accounted for 48.9% of travellers in the second half of the month and 49.8% overall. The domestic market follows with a 33.9% and 34.5% share, “confirming its key role, especially on weekends and holidays,” according to a statement from Hosbec.
Other important international markets in Benidorm include Ireland (3.3% of the total for the month), Belgium (3.2%), and the Netherlands (2.4%), all of which indicate significant growth compared to 2024.
By category, four-star hotels had 86.1% occupancy in the second half of the month and 84.5% overall, while three-star hotels had 88.1% and 86%, respectively. “These figures reflect a high operating profitability for the hotel sector across all product lines,” hotel representatives said.
“With these figures, Benidorm is heading into the high season with excellent prospects, and an occupancy forecast for the first half of June that already reaches 85.5%, confirming the destination’s continued dynamism,” the researchers say of the resort town.
Valencian Community
The foreign market is already closing the gap in Valencia as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Valencian Community’s capital, 68% of hotel customers are from outside, “which is undoubtedly an important buffer to continue cushioning the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to hoteliers. In reality, four-star hotels performed better in the second half of May 2025 than in 2024, “which means the occupancy gap, which we hope to recover during June and July, is reduced to the most luxurious hotels.” The American market merits a special consideration. American visitors staying in Valencia hotels account for 8.8% of the market, making them the second most important market, trailing only British tourists (9.1%).
June reservations are “progressing at a good pace,” with certain places already having somewhat more confirmed reservations than in 2024. However, booking windows (the time between booking and stay) are shortening in all markets, including long-haul foreign markets, so data fluctuates over a few days and may increase dramatically compared to the initial projection.
Costa Blanca and Alicante South
The Costa Blanca tourism sector, on the verge of summer, ended May with an average occupancy rate of 78.4%, a decrease from 82.3% in 2024. The second half of the month is at 79.6%, which is lower than the previous year’s figure of 83.7%. This fall is also seen in the performance of the Alicante South area, which fell from 83.9% in May 2024 to 79.4% in May 2025, with a second-half drop to 76.2%.
The domestic market remains the most significant sector, although it is losing ground to the foreign market. On the Costa Blanca, Spanish tourists accounted for 40.9% in the second half of the month and 42% for the entire month. The United Kingdom was the most prominent international source, accounting for 17%, with Belgium, the Netherlands, and Ireland serving as the main source markets. Domestic tourism accounted for the largest proportion in Alicante South (48.7% fortnightly and 53.8% monthly), with the United Kingdom and France as the major foreign markets.
4-star hotels continued to perform well in the second half of the month, with 84.5% occupancy on the Costa Blanca and 87.4% in Alicante South. Three-star hotels fell to 78% and 68.5%, respectively. Monthly occupancy rates on the Costa Blanca were 82.7% (4-star) and 77.5% (3-star), respectively, while Alicante South had 87.9% (4-star) and 74.1% (3-star).
Looking ahead to June, the occupancy projection for the first half of the month is 77.3% on the Costa Blanca and 73.2% in Alicante South, in accordance with the general shift to the high season but with a slightly milder start than in recent years.
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