Benidorm suffers massive setback over €330m compensation payment to developers

Benidorm has become the third most important municipality in Spain in terms of tourism’s social and economic contribution, following only Madrid and Barcelona. It also ranks third for accommodation capacity, offering 96,950 places—just behind the two major capitals, which both exceed 100,000. This data comes from the 2024 Municipal Tourism Contribution Atlas, recently published by Exceltur.

The report underlines that long-established tourist destinations have seen the largest growth in accommodation options, largely due to the boom in tourist-use housing. This expansion is now a major factor behind rising tourist pressure, positioning tourism management as a “strategic priority at municipal level,” the study concludes.

Tourist homes surgeThe number of places in tourist-use homes grew by 25.3 per cent in 2024 compared to 2022. In contrast, hotels saw a modest rise of just 2 per cent, while other regulated options like apartments, campsites and rural lodgings increased by only 1.4 per cent. Many top destinations experienced notable growth in this sector: Madrid (48.8 per cent), Barcelona (26.4 per cent), Benidorm (21.6 per cent), Marbella (21.2 per cent), Seville (31.8 per cent), València (56.4 per cent), and Málaga (35.8 per cent). However, a substantial part of this expansion involves illegal properties, a concern repeatedly highlighted by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.