Benidorm Festival moves a whole legion european fans Those who do not hesitate to pack their bags and go to the tourism capital to follow in the footsteps of the candidates who will represent Spain at Eurovision. Some travelers pushed the town’s hotel occupancy rate above 82% for the weekend and reaches almost 80% on weekdays; This is all about hotels hitting the nail on the head due to the influx of musical event-related professionals.
The end of January and the beginning of February are almost like high season in the city. The third edition of this television festival is already on the agenda of many tourists as a must-see event. contributing to the seasonality of the destination On non-high season dates before Benidorm Fest. This is confirmed by industry sources who point out that this incident is already a real shock for the city.
Because the municipality is not only full of those who participated in the semi-finals or grand finals. There are only a few thousand people who can enter the grounds of Palau d’Esports, but there are also those who travel to spend a few days fans Choosing a phenomenon related to Eurovision Experience the atmosphere, gastronomy or parallel events Events held on the street, such as concerts or live broadcasts planned in Teknohito.
And all this can be measured in hotel numbers. According to Hosbec’s occupancy forecast, The city has an average occupancy rate of 72.2% for the entire week from January 29 to February 4. A number that may increase even more over the weekend with those who decided to participate in the Benidorm Fest phenomenon at the last minute. on site. So from Friday to Sunday it is already at 77.3%. The numbers are increasing for Friday and Saturday and have already exceeded 82%. “We hope that the occupancy rate will increase even by a few points compared to what was expected,” Mayte García, the party’s general secretary, told this newspaper. Thus, the average has already exceeded the average recorded in 2023, when the event occurred, rising to 68.2% for the seven days and 76.7% for the weekend.
The hospitality industry rates Benidorm Fest very positively: “It has a huge impact. It repositions the city as a projected European destination,” says García. Thus, he points out that tourists who come to this event “have a complete entertainment project for these days.” In addition to “the average ticket average is higher than other tourists”. This shows that it reflects positively on the image of the city due to the type of public that recognizes it through such events.
The influx of followers of this music competition is noticeable on the streets, especially at noon and when there are no scheduled events. Trying the gastronomic flavors of the city and attending “Tapa Fest” are among your plans. Young people who drive this activity spend in the city, and this is confirmed by a study conducted by the Pedro Zaragoza Chair of Tourism Studies: the average expenditure of those staying in the city In 2023, it will be around 232 euros. Thus, those who decide to spend a day do so for an average of 68 euros. Figures that may be repeated or increased this year. As a result, the economic impact created by Benidorm Fest is estimated by Turisme Comunitat Valenciana as a turnover of 5 million Euros in the tourism sector, especially in accommodation. A citron that can be increased at the end of the event.
Vacation to attend the Benidorm festival
These days you can see groups of young people dressed with their accreditations and bags with the Benidorm Fest logo. They are part of this festival european fans who travel wherever they need for music. “We saved up holidays to come this week. We don’t come from far from San Vicente, but we had to be here,” explains a young man with a group of friends. “I came and I work remotely. “This week is sacred,” says one of them.
Another group taking photos on the Levante coast tells this newspaper: “We met online and this is our second time. We love Benidorm and the Benidorm Festival.” They’ll spend the whole week but they’re waiting for another group of friends I will come on Friday to see the concerts at tecnohito You can also follow the final on Saturday from the same place.
The weekend will be important for the arrival of tourists. This is also explained by Alex Fratini, vice president of the Bars, Restaurants, Cafes and Nightlife Association (Abreca), who states: “We see more and more people coming to Benidorm Festival“Although there was already a lot of movement last weekend, these first chords of the week show more customers moving in at noon. “There will be much more influx from Friday and Saturday, and Sunday will be significant,” he adds.
The accommodation sector points out that such events contribute to the sector at a time when there were not such good figures before Benidorm Fest. ““The estimate is that 10% more bills will be issued this year than last year.”. But in addition, the event has “tripled” compared to the same dates before this musical event was held. But Fratini notes that followers of this event “spend more than any other type of tourist we have in the city now” because they don’t mind going out and consuming in establishments, as well as trying the local gastronomy offerings.
After the success of the last two editions, it will be necessary to check after the end of the current one whether the consolidation of Benidorm Fest is not only musical, but also one of the most interesting tourist events for the tourism sector and all complementary activities. .