Redaccion
The Provincial Tourism Board Costa Blanca attends the Routes Europe fair, which kicks off this Tuesday in Seville, with the purpose of «reinforcing air connectivity» at the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport.
At this meeting, airlines, airports, and European tourism promotion organizations will come together «to assess the global situation of the sector,» as reported by the Alicante Provincial Council in a statement.
The provincial institution recalls that the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández terminal recorded 18,387,387 passengers in 2024 and set a «historic record,» with a 16.8 percent increase compared to the previous year’s annual balance.
Of the total travelers who used the Alicante airport, more than 15 million were international and 2.5 million were domestic, «figures that demonstrate the importance of air connectivity with key emitting markets» and that «consolidate the Costa Blanca as a reference tourist destination in Europe,» as detailed by the Director of the Provincial Tourism Board, José Mancebo.
According to Mancebo, «the Costa Blanca’s connectivity strategy is based on continuous contact with the agencies involved: the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández airport, Aena, and the airlines, holding regular meetings to monitor routes, which greatly facilitate the implementation of joint strategies between the gateway and the destination.»
Regarding the Routes Europe fair, it is considered a «key event in the promotion strategy of the Provincial Tourism Board.» «We have been attending this event since 2015, when it was held in Aberdeen (Scotland). Subsequently, it has taken place in 2016 in Krakow (Poland), in 2017 in Belfast (United Kingdom), in 2018 in Bilbao (Spain), in 2019 in Hanover (Germany), in 2021 in Milan (Italy), in 2023 in Lodz (Poland), and in 2024 in Aarhus (Denmark),» recalled the tourism official.
The event is structured into three sections: scheduled appointment agendas between tourism destinations and airlines, «which provide an opportunity to negotiate future air services»; an exhibition fair with stands, where both airports and tourism authorities participate, and, finally, specialized conferences in the aviation sector.
WORK MEETINGS
As for the work meetings, the Costa Blanca Board ensures that it has held meetings with airlines such as easyJet, Vueling, SAS, Lufthansa, Norwegian, and Volotea. Also with companies that have recently established new routes, such as Air Baltic, and airlines that do not yet operate at the Alicante terminal, such as Bulgaria Air and Air Montenegro.
Likewise, the Provincial Council seeks to «expand domestic routes with airlines like Binter, Air Nostrum, and Air Europa, and continue to bet on long-haul routes, with meetings with American Airlines and Delta (United States), and Pegasus and Turkish Airlines (Turkey).»
CRUISE TOURISM FAIR IN MIAMI
On the other hand, the Costa Blanca Board is also participating during these days in the 2025 Seatrade Cruise Global fair, held in Miami (United States), an event that commemorates its 40th anniversary and is considered «the most important globally in terms of cruise traffic and tourism.»
The event brings together industry professionals, including cruise lines, service providers, excursion tour operators, ports of call and embarkation, specialized media, and other actors. In the 2024 edition, it featured over 600 international exhibitors from 120 countries and 11,000 visitors, including 2,700 cruise company executives.
The Costa Blanca participates for the third consecutive year within the Ports of the State stand, at the Alicante Port counter, sharing agenda and space with the Port Authority of Alicante (APA) and the Alicante Costa Blanca Association for Cruise Tourism.
According to Mancebo, the goal is to «strengthen our presence in the cruise sector and promote the province as a destination for the excursions of passengers arriving at the Port of Alicante,» while indicating that «an appointment schedule has been prepared with cruise lines and excursion tour operators.» «The Costa Blanca and the city of Alicante are becoming increasingly popular destinations for cruises,» he added.
The Provincial Council recalled that in 2024, the Port of Alicante received one hundred cruise ship calls with 230,930 passengers, which is 16 more and an 18% increase in visitors compared to the previous year.
Of those calls, 20 were base port and 15 included two or three simultaneous calls. With this growth, «the estimated economic impact reached 60 million euros in the province,» according to estimates from the Alicante Costa Blanca Association for Cruise Tourism, as noted by the institution.
The Costa Blanca Tourism Board works together with the APA, the City Council, and the Alicante Costa Blanca Association for Cruise Tourism through the Cruise Tourism Observatory.
«This collaboration allows participation in specialized fairs, organizing press and familiarization trips for cruise companies and tour operators, and developing joint strategies to attract new cruise ship calls,» added the Provincial Council.
In addition to the Seatrade Global fair, internationally, the calendar includes the Seatrade Europe edition, held every two years in Hamburg (Germany), and the Mediterranean edition, hosted by Malaga every two years alternating with the European one.
One of the goals of the Costa Blanca Tourism Board in this segment is that «the excursions offered to cruise passengers arriving at the Alicante Port include as many municipalities as possible, so that the entire Costa Blanca benefits from this segment.»
Therefore, the organization states that «it is working with different localities on the design of new routes and excursions.» «Currently, Alicante is the most visited destination on excursions, with 54,105 participants (67.84% of the total). Outside the capital, the most demanded destinations are Benidorm (5,907), Guadalest (5,003), and La Vila Joiosa and Altea (3,104), according to 2024 data,» it adds.
BIKE EXPO POLAND
On the other hand, the Costa Blanca Tourism Board attended for the first time the 7th edition of Bike Expo, a specialized cycling fair held last weekend in Warsaw (Poland).
It had a counter, within the Turespaña stand, where it showcased the «best cycling routes in the province, as well as all the complementary offerings of the destination.» On this occasion, the municipalities of El Campello and Benidorm also attended, with their own counters.
According to the Provincial Council, «this fair is part of the promotional activities that Costa Blanca will carry out in the Polish market throughout 2025, with the aim of consolidating the region as the best Spanish destination connected to this country.»
