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Alicante has been busy flying the flag in the UK, with the Alicante City&Beach Tourism Board staging two promotional events in Leeds and Newcastle to show off the city’s cultural, gastronomic and sporting appeal. The sessions brought together around one hundred British travel agents, a key audience given that the UK is Alicante’s main international source market.

 

Tourism technicians from the board led the presentations, focusing on what British visitors can enjoy beyond the classic sun and beach break. Councillor for Tourism Ana Poquet explained that “the policy of diversifying the product is yielding very good results in consolidating the deseasonalization in the city and that is why we wanted to focus on the cultural, gastronomic and sporting offer in a market as important as the British one.” The aim is to tempt travellers to choose Alicante throughout the year, not just in peak summer.

 

These latest events form part of a broader international strategy. The Tourism Board recently took part in Selling Travel Connect: Spain Newcastle, held at the Royal County Hotel on Friday January 19 2026, as well as running a high profile screen in London’s Leicester Square during the World Travel Market, which reached around 250,000 daily views. All of this is designed to keep Alicante front of mind for UK holidaymakers and the travel trade.

 

The figures show why this effort matters. According to the Provincial Association of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation of Alicante (APHA), some 159,491 British tourists stayed in hotels and tourist apartments in the city during 2025. That is more than the previous year and represents 24.26% of all foreign overnight visitors. In other words, nearly one in four international tourists sleeping in the city is from the UK.

 

For the Ayuntamiento, strengthening links with this market is clearly a priority. By highlighting everything from local festivals and museums to food, wine and sports, Alicante is positioning itself as a well rounded city break and holiday destination that has plenty to offer regular visitors as well as newcomers.

 

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Alicante