Holidaymakers are being warned that two popular Spanish destinations could be on the verge of collapse ahead of the summer season. Valencia Manises and Alicante-Elche, both airports serving popular holiday hotspots, have reported a significant surge in passenger numbers.In April, both airports experienced their busiest month on record. Spain's overall visitor numbers were 14 per cent higher than the same month last year.
Tourism in Spain has seen a significant rebound post-pandemic, with hotspots like Valencia, Alicante, Barcelona, Madrid, and the islands of Mallorca, Ibiza, Tenerife, and Lanzarote experiencing a boom in visitor numbers. This surge, however, has sparked protests due to overcrowding, particularly on the islands.
A report from the Council of Chambers highlighted the necessity for improvements, suggesting that "would allow us to exceed 21 million passengers in an optimistic scenario" by the decade's end. The report also cautioned that without changes, the region could face losses exceeding £794million and miss out on creating 17,500 new jobs each year.
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However, Lucena stated that the renovations would primarily focus on enlarging the current terminal, rather than constructing a second runway, which is what many are advocating for. Following an analysis and technical study, "investment priorities should be the expansion of the current terminal to increase its capacity in the face of future demand due to the increase in operations and passengers," he said.