British expats who lived in Benidorm during the pandemic described the Costa Blanca hotspot as "a ghost town". Two years on, the city has fully recovered, with summer bookings now exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Ricardo Fernández, general director of holiday booking platform Destinia, said the British are the main market for Benidorm. With almost no travel restrictions for UK travellers, the city predicts "a very good summer". Bookings from British tourists are 70 percent higher compared to the same dates in 2019.
Fernández noted that British and other European travellers are no longer "afraid of travelling". He said: "We have been highly affected by the pandemic and the restrictions for two years. But it now seems that psychologically we are returning to normality little by little." He attributed this to the relaxation of travel restrictions and mask rules.
However, as Britons flock back, Benidorm has seen a significant increase in prices. Staying in Benidorm is now 11 percent more expensive than in 2019, and prices "remain on the rise". Hotels reported a rise in costs following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the cost of providing a hotel stay increasing by over 25 percent.
The main reasons are rising energy prices and shortages of essential items like sunflower oil and wheat. Nuria Montes of Benidorm’s hotel association Hosbec said: "The main expenditure for a hotel is its staff, but then that’s followed by food and drink, along with energy. Costs related to guest food can account for around 25 percent of the total expenses of a hotel and energy comes in at 15 percent, with both these areas sky-rocketing in price."
Currently, Britons must be fully vaccinated to travel to Spain unless they have recently recovered from COVID-19. Unvaccinated adults need a recovery certificate. Face masks indoors are no longer mandatory, except on public transport.
