Power Outage Fails to Deter Travellers as Alicante Hotels Expect Near Full Occupancy for May Day Weekend

Not even the historic power outage that left the entire peninsula without electricity for over 12 hours could dampen the desire to travel for the upcoming May Day weekend, which is expected to see a large influx of visitors, especially from Madrid, to the province of Alicante.

Thus, after a day when the power cut forced hotel establishments to rely on their own resources, the sector anticipates a good weekend, with high occupancy rates that in the case of the city of Alicante are nearing full capacity.

The Alicante Provincial Hotel Association (APHA) predicts an occupancy rate of 86%, pending last-minute bookings. "The blackout is not affecting bookings for the May Day weekend," explain sources from the Alicante association, highlighting that the provincial estimates rise to 82.6%.

The impact of the power cut has been minimal, with the negative impact on bookings "estimated at just 1%, a figure expected to be recovered with last-minute bookings," the sector evaluates.

The figures handled by APHA, although lower than last year, are very positive. The holiday marks a strong start to May, as the summer months approach. Traditionally, it is one of the busiest times for the province. In fact, last year the occupancy rate exceeded 91% in the capital's hotels.

APHA has assessed the blackout that left several parts of the province of Alicante without power for 12 hours. In the city, power returned by neighbourhoods from 6:30 pm. "The lack of electricity disrupted normality and required all kinds of measures to provide the best possible conditions for those staying in the establishments," explain APHA sources.

Larger facilities had generators running for more than 10 hours in some cases to compensate for the lack of electricity. Despite this, the impact was "limited," according to the association, which notes that travellers who did not show up despite having reservations were compensated with extended stays, due to uncertainty about returning trips to their places of origin.

The hotel association also highlights that many tourists chose to visit hotel bars and restaurants, as these had energy autonomy, unlike most conventional restaurants, which were paralysed by the lack of supply. "Similarly, the ease of settling the bill at the hotel allowed guests to consume even without cash, while outside the hotel, issues with cards limited spending to available cash," they explain.