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Date Published: 04/10/2021
ARCHIVED - Benidorm braces itself for the return of British holidaymakers
From October 4, Covid testing requirements will be relaxed for double-jabbed Brits holidaying on Spain’s Costa Blanca
Hotels and bars closed for months due to the pandemic and lack of tourists are reopening in Benidorm ahead of the long-awaited return of British holidaymakers to the hugely popular resort on the Costa Blanca.
From today, Monday October 4, new UK travel rules come into force with the axing of the amber and green lists, replaced by two categories, a red list and ‘rest of the world’.
And the changes mean that fully-vaccinated arrivals in the UK from the ‘rest of the world’, which includes Spain, will now only have to take a ‘Day 2’ PCR test after landing. They will not need to isolate or take a pre-departure test before flying.
And according to tourism sector experts, Benidorm is already feeling the positive benefits of the relaxed travel restrictions, with Brits accounting for an increase in hotel bookings for the next three months.
A little over a month ago, at the end of August, the first British holidaymakers began to make their return to Benidorm, but according to the Hotel and Tourist Business Association for the Valencia region (Hosbec), the picture was far from that of pre-pandemic summers.
However, in the last week of September and the first weekend in October, “many more British tourists have arrived for a few days’ break”.
The main central streets, including Calles Mallorca, Gerona, Ibiza and Lepanto, are reportedly “much busier”, with many of them having been renovated whilst tourists were unable to travel.
“At midday, some bars and cafés are already buzzing and have no free tables. Many have reopened their businesses after months closed because there is now an increase of British people arriving,” said Álex Fratini, a member of Abreca, Benidorm’s association of bars and restaurants
He said that bars are looking to expand staff levels, which is “a good sign” after a very tough year in which 90% of businesses in both the retail and hospitality sectors had to close their doors.
“We can already see movement for this weekend and it will become more noticeable,” said Fratini, who stressed that October has always been a popular month with UK tourists.
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