Published on
October 17, 2025
Alicante-Elche Airport is Spain’s fourth busiest airport. In September, the airport received over 1.9 million people, thereby breaking its previous passenger record. This reconfirms the airport’s development into an international tourism travel hub. During this month alone, over 30% of international travellers to the airport originated from the United Kingdom. This further indicates the relevance of British tourists to the tourism economy of the Costa Blanca region.
In September, the 8% increase in international flights and the 5.9% increase in overall passenger growth, which was driven by international travel, helped bolster the Costa Blanca tourism economy. Alicante-Elche Airport saw the fastest growth of international flights from the United Kingdom. This indicates the importance of the British market to the international travel segment of the Costa Blanca region.
The increased numbers of international passengers continues to reflect the unbeaten appeal of the Costa Blanca region. The British holiday maker continues to value the numerous towns, beaches and monumental sites in the region, combined with the convenience of direct flights to Alicante-Elche Airport. The British tourist market can easily be catered to by popular resort towns like Costa Blanca especially Benidorm, Altea, and Dénia which provide a perfect blend of stunning beaches and rich culture.
The Growth of Air Travel and its Effects on Local Tourism
Directly correlated to the local economy and tourism prospects are the rising numbers of visitors to Alicante-Elche Airport. The more international travelers that the airport receives, the more travelers in the surrounding region. Costa Blanca’s appeal as a premier destination continues to reflect on the growth of the airport. This rapidly expanding tourism industry is essential for the local economy, situated within the region are several hotels, restaurants, transportation, and tour operators that thrive on this influx of airport visitors.
Increased international travel – especially from the UK – also helps to expand the scope of what is offered to tourists in the Costa Blanca region. In the past, British holiday makers were more likely to stick to the sun and sea at the beach resorts. However, there is now much more interest and demand for cultural and inland tourism. Tucked away in the province’s interior, tourists and visitors are now able to enjoy more than just the beach. Old colonial towns, picturesque mountain hiking trails, and even ancient historical monuments are all becoming more popular.
Trends in Domestic Tourism
While international travel developed tremendously with the rest of the world, domestic traffic from Spain to the Alicante-Elche region dropped slightly by 8%. This indicates shifts in travel behavior, where more Spanish residents are likely to spend their holidays within the country. Alicante-Elche Airport benefitted tremendously from the increase in international flights. This, in turn, enables the Costa Blanca region to continue to enjoy international tourism.
The reduction in domestic flights might not be ideal; however, does not change the fact that the region’s tourism is mostly positive. In the post pandemic world, more and more people are able to travel around Spain with the Costa Blanca region in particular seeming to be very popular among foreign tourists.
Long-Term Considerations on Costa Blanca Tourism
There are several long term implications of the increased passenger traffic at the Alicante-Elche airport on tourism in the Costa Blanca region. With the airports ability to handle large pax volumes internationally, it opens the region to several international routes, increasing the number of tourists. This, in turn, increases the number of tourists. This positions the airport as strategically important.
There are also forecasts on the airports expansion and it’s ability to handle increased passenger numbers in the futre. With record-breaking in September, Costa Blanca is set to remain a desirable short & long term destination, along with the aicnte airport that ties all ends of the region together.
Tourism in Costa Blanca is set to grow positively and benefit from the expansion of international routes, along with the increased traffic. The region is set to remain competitive in international tourism with growing tourist traffic and increasing popularity of its coastal settlements such as Alicante, Benidorm and several others.
Sustainability and Future Developments
Sustainability has intertwined with growth with the construction of additional infrastructure and development of tourism amenities. Carbon offset and eco-transport are policies worth considering for tourism infrastructure and for the airport. Sustainable tourism development to support the growth of the Costa Blanca region is a pivotal part of the development plan for the region, particularly for the environment and the economy.
There has been progress with investments into the facilities of Alicante-Elche airport and further enhancements are in the funnel to address the rising passenger volume. The customer experience is set to enhance with the addition of ground transportation, terminal upgrades, enhanced flight routes, and drastically improved ground transportation.
Conclusion
The Elise Airport of Alicante had record breaking September with 1.9 million passengers. Over a third of the passengers were from UK. This demonstrates the importance of international tourism for the economy of Costa Blanca. The increase of foreign visitors, especially from UK, shows that more attention must be put the development of the region. The further improvement of the region for tourism Costa Blanca has. His growing importance region for global tourism, the airport and the further improvement for the tourism will positively influence the region.
