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2023 Reafirms the Recovery Of The Tourism Sector Of The Valencian Community 

 

After collecting the data from the last fortnight of December, the Bigdata HOSBEC departments take stock of the hotel tourism activity of the different tourist points and areas analyzed during the year 2023. 

 

The province of Valencia closes the year with 81%, highlighting the city of Valencia with the best annual average occupancy data of the areas and destinations analyzed (81.3%) , which increases the 2019 records by almost 3 percentage points. The balance between international and national is balanced at the provincial level, but in the case of the Valencia destination the volume of international tourists rises to 64.2% with markets such as the Dutch and the British leading the way. 

 

Benidorm , with an average available hotel floor of 120 accommodations and more than 41,000 beds throughout the year, is not far from the data of Valencia and reaches 80.4% average occupancy during 2023 . However, it does not experience an increase compared to 2019, since it remains at 3.8 percentage points, a distance that has increased in part due to the delay of the IMSERSO program.

 

The tourist area of ​​the Costa Blanca wins the race in 2019, surpassing it by 4.1 percentage points and finally achieving an annual occupancy rate of 72.9% . Furthermore, it is worth highlighting the commitment to the continuity of the tourist activity of its accommodation plant, which surpasses a record year like 2019 in practically every month.

 

The province of Castellón remains strong with 70.3% occupancy and continues to be a magnet for the domestic market , which represents 80% of the total volume of tourists. Despite its high level of seasonality, which is concentrated in the first quarter of the year and the months of November and December, the province holds up with more than 17,900 available places grouped into an annual average of 177 operating establishments.

 

Mayte García, General Secretary of HOSBEC, makes her first assessment of the end of the year: “2023 has ended giving the strength that the sector needs to face a new year with very good forecasts. The goal of 2023 was to recover pre-pandemic data, and these results show that it has been achieved. Contributing a consolidation to those data that were already a record, a more qualified hotel plant in the Valencian Community, and the image of a less seasonal destination and with greater international projection.
 

Below, we offer you a detailed analysis of hotel occupancy in different parts of the Valencian Community.
 

BENIDORM
Benidorm  closes the  last fortnight of the year with 70% occupancy , thus ending 2023 with an  average annual occupancy of 80.4% . A figure that closes the gap with respect to 2019, remaining at 3.8 percentage points. (See the monthly evolution of hotel occupancy in the bar graph of the report).

 

The first quarter of the year is the one with the greatest distance in relation to the 2019 records with data that range between 63%-75% occupancy. Increasing the pace of growth since the month of April with the arrival of Holy Week. From then on, the total number of rooms reserved at the destination does not drop below 80% until the month of November, reaching the highest peak during the month of August (92.2%).

 

The weight of tourists of international origin who stay in hotels is greater than that of  nationals during 2023 (57.8%), increasing their share by 2.9 percentage points.  Regarding the total volume of international travelers,  the United Kingdom  continues to support Benidorm, maintaining the same representation as in 2019 (41.5%) and accounting for 78.9% of the quota of international travelers received by the destination's hotels. They are followed at a long distance by  Belgium (3.2%) , the Netherlands (2.9%),  Portugal (2.7%)  and Ireland (2%) .

 

After the years of instability caused by the pandemic, the hotel plant remains stable during 2023, exceeding in most months the capacity offered in 2019. In this way, the capital of the Costa Blanca closes the year with an  average provisional annual of  120 establishments and more than 41,000 places available . 

 

The first half of January 2024 already has 62% confirmed reservations , with the possibility of increasing thanks to the last Christmas holidays. 

COSTA BLANCA
The last fifteen days of  2023,  the  Costa Blanca  (not including Benidorm) reached 57.2% average occupancy,  closing the year with 72.9% . Exceptional data that increases by 4.1 percentage points the 2019 records in which 68.8% annual occupancy was recorded (see the monthly evolution of hotel occupancy in the bar graph of the report).

 

The lowest monthly occupancy rates are recorded in January and December, but it is worth noting that each month exceeds the 2019 data, reaching the highest level in August at 91% . The balance between national and international tourists is balanced, with the latter gaining ground and increasing by 3.5 points, reaching 48.4%. The British tourist is the predominant one with 12.8% of the total, followed by the Belgian with 5.5% and the Norwegian with 4.7%.

 

The provisional annual average of establishments open during 2023 is  260, representing more than 27,000 hotel beds.  The onset of the low season means that the available supply decreases in the first quarter of the year, as many establishments choose to offer vacation time off to their employees. 

 

Regarding the  forecast  expected for January 1 to 15, 2024, on this occasion it is expected to reach 55.1 %  with optimism of exceeding it in the coming days.

VALENCIA
Hotels in the province of  Valencia  reached 58.7% occupancy in the last fortnight of the year. Thus,  they put the finishing touch on 2023 with an average annual occupancy of 81%. A more than positive fact with which it grows by 2.8 percentage points in relation to 2019  (see the monthly evolution of hotel occupancy in the bar graph of the report).

 

The celebration of the Fallas in the month of March is the starting signal for monthly occupancy that does not drop below 81% until the month of November. In the case of the city of València, which improves the values ​​of the province (81.3%), every month exceeds the records of 2019, its star month, unlike the rest of the areas and destinations analysed, being September with 90.1%.

 

The provisional average of  available hotel facilities in 2023 in the province stands at 390 establishments that make more than 37,300 places available to guests  to spend the night. From May to September there are more than 39,000 places available, which begin to decrease in November for destinations like Gandía, conditioned by seasonality.

 

Regarding the origin of tourists who have spent the night in hotels in the province of Valencia, in 2023 it is worth noting that  the national market grows 3.6 percentage points compared to 2019 . The international market reaches a share of 49.5%, showing a distribution of weights between nationalities that is more distributed than in the rest of the areas. The Netherlands (5.7%)  and the United Kingdom (5.5%) lead the table along with Italy with 5.3% , followed by Germany (4.8%), the USA (4.6%) and France (4.4%).
 
The  occupancy forecast  for the days between January 1 and 15  is 48% , although this estimate is expected to be exceeded thanks to last-minute reservations.

CASTELLON
The province of  Castellón ends the year with a month of December at 46%, which finally results in 70.3% annual occupancy.  (see the weekly evolution of hotel occupancy in the bar graph of the report).

 

The tourist of Spanish origin continues to be loyal to the province, representing, nothing more and nothing less, 80% of the total annual quota. Regarding the international market, the most popular guest is the French with 5.7% representation, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. 

 

Regarding the  availability of hotel beds,  the province of Castellón is the most affected by seasonality, which is reflected in the variation in its monthly accommodation capacity. According to provisional data from the INE, the province has had a provisional annual average of more than 17,900 places, distributed among 177 establishments.

 

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