The May 1st and 2nd Holiday Will Turn Alicante into Madrid's 'Beach'

Alicante is aiming for the second 'sold out' of the tourist season after reaching 'technical full' in hotels and apartments last Easter. The city recorded a 95% occupancy rate, according to data from the Provincial Hotel Association (Apha). The Tourism Councillor, Ana Poquet, highlighted that "the Easter figures are very good, as they have been in recent months, allowing us to say that the low season no longer exists and anticipate a summer with great numbers for the sector and the city."

A summer that could arrive sooner than expected due to the favourable work calendar. Alicante's tourism sector is thrilled with the coincidence of May 1st and 2nd, which in 2025 falls on Thursday and Friday. Therefore, a four-day holiday is formed, as Thursday is both the Santa Faz and Labour Day, a national holiday. Additionally, May 2nd is a regional holiday in Madrid, marking the Community Day in commemoration of the 1808 uprising against the French invader.

Ideal, therefore, for those 'city break' getaways for which Alicante is a specialist. This is also the view of the Alicante Tourism Board, which anticipates that May will start "very positively as May 1st is a national holiday on Thursday and Santa Faz and May 2nd is a holiday in Madrid, expecting a bridge that will bring thousands of Madrilenians."

Moreover, from April 19th to the upcoming Saturday, six cruise ships have arrived in Alicante with over 11,200 people on board in a month that marks the start of the high season for this tourist segment.

On Saturday, a double docking will occur, one of which is considered historic by the Alicante Costa Blanca Association for Cruise Tourism, with the American luxury ship 'Scenic Eclipse' from Scenic Cruises. It will coincide with the American 'Zuiderman' from Holland America Line.