Government initiatives marketed as a social shield helped cushion the pandemic blow. They not only slowed the worst economic impacts but also allowed a quick recovery of productive activity. Within a year, activity had rebounded and even surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
The latest figures from the Central Business Directory, compiled annually, show widespread operation across most sectors in the province. At the start of 2022, more businesses and facilities were active than at the same point in 2020, before the coronavirus spread globally. In practical terms, there are now more bars, real estate agencies, and service firms than before the pandemic, with some segments reporting significantly higher counts.
The study indicates a province at the early stage of renewal. It records 147,286 active companies, checked against tax records, social security data, and the business registry to confirm ongoing operations. This is 2,713 above the early-2021 figure and 1,855 above January 2020, prior to the epidemic surge.
Of course, the statistics also reflect uneven outcomes. Smaller firms show growth, while larger ones with more employees sometimes contract. The number of businesses without staff rose from 80,824 to 82,541 in this period, while the count of firms employing 20 or more people declined.
The evolution of facilities—encompassing public workplaces, offices, factories, and other centers—follows a similar pattern. After years of steady growth since 2014, the total dipped from 168,458 in early 2020 to 167,645 after a year of pandemic, with a modest rebound to 171,054 over the next twelve months.
by sectors
Real estate emerged as a standout area, driven by a renewed interest in buying and selling homes during the quarantine period. About 600 new establishments joined property management firms, bringing the provincial total to 12,669.
The service sector, including personal services such as hairdressers and beauty salons, also expanded—nearly 230 additional facilities, reaching 6,412 in total; personal services rose to 7,166 stores, up by 397.
Tourism, a historically important yet hard-hit sector, has begun to show strength in Alicante. The hospitality industry has fully recovered and now operates more venues than in 2020, with 14,687 food and beverage outlets currently open. The number of drinking and dining venues rose by 116 compared with pre-pandemic levels. The Alicante Restaurant Association notes that the recovery varies by season and locale, with summer and weekends pulling demand higher, while weekdays and winter pose ongoing challenges, especially with rising costs.
Restaurateurs warn that many new ventures are fragile. While compensation helped displaced workers start new businesses, sustaining operations beyond peak seasons requires careful management, especially as costs rise in the current economic climate.
At the same time, the market has seen a significant rise in franchise activity, driven by liquidity and opportunities for investment. This path offers an alternative to traditional street-level commerce, which is also contending with a shift toward online shopping and broader e-commerce growth.
A rental facility in the heart of Alicante, shortly after the lockdown, captures the new normal of a city adapting to post-pandemic life.
When compared with other sectors, malls opened the year with figures still below 2020. The directory notes retail businesses decreased from 25,152 in 2020 to 24,869, suggesting slower recovery in brick-and-mortar retail. Industry groups emphasize that rising energy costs and ongoing geopolitical tensions, notably the conflict in Ukraine, continue to weigh on consumer power and business profitability. There is a call for targeted support for energy-intensive sectors such as bakeries and butchers, and for broader financial relief through programs like Facpyme to sustain small businesses.
The narrative also highlights a resilient entrepreneurial spirit that diversified production and attracted new, innovative companies to the region. This shift is seen as a partial compensation for limited public investment and a move toward creating synergies among local firms.
Overall, Alicante’s business fabric demonstrates a capacity to rebound, adapt, and attract new ventures, balancing traditional strengths with newly minted opportunities for collaboration and investment.