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Valencian Community hotels are almost full this August, with Benidorm and Alicante South leading the way
Average occupancy across the region hit 92.1% in the first half of the month, slightly ahead of last year and pointing to another strong summer season
If it felt like every hotel on the Costa Blanca was packed to the rafters this August, that is because most of them were. Hotels across the Valencian Community recorded an average occupancy rate of 92.1% during the first half of August 2026, eight tenths of a percentage point higher than the same period last year, according to data from BigDataHOSBEC released by hotel association Hosbec.The standout performer was Benidorm, which led the region with 93.1% occupancy, followed very closely by Alicante South at 92.9%, which also recorded the biggest year-on-year improvement, growing by almost five percentage points compared to the first half of August 2025. That is well above the regional average increase and a sign, according to Hosbec, of the growing confidence in destinations that combine sun and beach with good connections and a broad range of complementary offerings.
The rest of the region held up well too. The Costa Blanca excluding Benidorm reached 92.1%, the province of Valencia 91.9%, Valencia city 90.4% and Castellón rounded off the fortnight at 88.6%. Hosbec noted that the performance across destinations was "very homogeneous," with virtually all areas hovering around the 90% mark and no significant outliers.
Five-star hotels had a particularly strong first half of August, with occupancy up 3.9 percentage points on the previous year. The employers' association described this as evidence of "the potential of Valencian hotel tourism to generate appeal for the highest segments of demand."
The market mix is also shifting. Spain remains the dominant source of overnight stays with a 50.3% share, but Hosbec flagged signs of domestic demand softening slightly as international markets grow. The United Kingdom leads international visitors with a 19.5% share. Valencia city is the clearest example of this internationalisation trend, with Spanish guests accounting for only 25% of demand there and visitors from the United States taking a 10.6% share.
Looking ahead to the second half of August, confirmed bookings stand at 86% for the region as a whole, broadly in line with 2025 and suggesting solid but slightly less intense occupancy than the first two weeks.
Image: wikicommons
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