Benidorm Assesses the Real Impact of Tourism: Averages 252,000 Visitors Daily

Benidorm City Council has completed the 'Tourist Flow Analysis', a study aimed at accurately determining the actual number of people visiting the city each day, their origins, and the means of access, whether via the Miguel Hernández Alicante-Elche airport or by road.

This project, part of the 'Benidorm DTI + Safe' Sustainable Tourism Plan, was conducted in collaboration with Aquatec and involved an investment of 14,950 euros.

The Mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, along with the Councillor for Water Cycle, José Ramón González de Zárate, and municipal technicians, were the first to learn about the preliminary results of the study. Pérez emphasized that this report marks a crucial starting point for measuring and analyzing the evolution of tourist flows, which will contribute to more efficient and intelligent tourism management in the city.

For this analysis, 2023 was used as a reference year, considered the year of full tourism recovery post-pandemic. The study utilized telecommunications data to analyze people's mobility within Benidorm, information on arrivals at Alicante-Elche airport, and official data from organizations such as the National Statistics Institute (INE), Turespaña, Frontur, Egatur, and Hosbec.

One of the most significant findings of the report is that the city receives an average of over 252,000 daily visitors. In August, the influx peaks with over 2.1 million tourists, double the annual average. Additionally, the busiest day in 2023 was August 12th, when Benidorm hosted more than 365,000 people, including residents and transient population, more than four times the city's registered population.

The study also revealed new data on occupancy in unregulated accommodations, the presence of visitors in second homes, and the volume of day-trippers, those who visit the city but do not stay overnight. This information allows for better resource and service planning, optimizing the offer based on the type of tourists.

According to the mayor, this analysis represents a significant advancement in intelligent tourism management, providing information on visitor mobility based on nationality and identifying areas with a high concentration of second homes. These data will be crucial for improving service planning and the city's sustainability.

Toni Pérez highlighted the importance of this report in reinforcing Benidorm's uniqueness as a tourist destination and supporting the demand for funding that matches the city's actual population reality. The mayor stressed that the high presence of transient population throughout the year justifies the need for more resources to ensure quality services for both residents and tourists.

Ultimately, this study not only provides an accurate picture of tourism in Benidorm but also lays the groundwork for more efficient and sustainable management of tourist flows, ensuring the city remains a benchmark in the sector.