The other day I was talking to a friend from the North of Spain who I hadn’t seen for al long time and asked him when he  was coming to see me  in Benidorm after so many years.

His reply was: But its full of older people!

I then asked: When was the last time you were in Benidorm ?.

He answered : It must be about 15 years ago.

I then said: How can you say that if you haven’t been here for years. I don’t think you have a clue  what Benidorm is like nowadays.

It was then that I realized that as a destination we have been incapable of communicating to our tourists the changes that have taken place in these last few years. Large unproductive  amounts of  money have been  spent on marketing, press, trade fairs etc and people who have either not been to Benidorm or have not visited in years still use  adjectives , normally derogatory to describe Benidorm.  Those visitors who come here on a regular basis do not have the same opinion.

Although I am proud of the fact that we have “mature” tourists  who visit our Town, I don’t agree with my friend , as we have a wide variety of visitors, from older couples , young people and  families who are our most popular type of visitor. Therefore, I thought I would comment on  a few things that you probably don’t know about Benidorm.

Sunny days are guaranteed 350 days a year with a temperature that does not fall below 15 –18ºc .The beaches  are the same as ever but now have two promenades , the last one  was inaugurated a few months ago, they  both have fantastic walks to enjoy.

Did you know that we have no fewer than 4  Theme Parks. Terra Mitica , a park for everyone, Terra Natura  , a majestic superb animal park representing the five continents. Aqualandia, , a waterpark which is probably one of the most visited in Europe and Mundomar an animal park with a dolphin show.

We also now have two 18 hole golf courses and a pitch and putt, each offering spectacular views of the town and the Mediterranean sea. There are also 30 golf courses within one hours driving distance.

Not only do we have a large entertainment theatre called the Benidorm Palace  which seats over 1000 people and which puts on shows that match those seen in Paris but we also . all the bars and clubs  that put on their own shows and entertainment.

The construction of the new Benidorm Cultural Centre with a capacity for 700 people will be completed in 2011. We will therefore, also be a destination  for conferences and conventions.

We offer Hotels and Holiday Apartments that specialize in all types of markets , family, all inclusive , gay  and even hotels specializing in Holidays for couples like our very own Hotel Levante Club, the only hotel in Benidorm exclusively designed for adults.

Of course we can improve many things in our town, the urban landscape, our tourist offices, our clubs and discos that need updating, our urban transport system etc

However, do you know a place that offers all these things I mention above ?. Benidorm is often compared to other tourist areas without appreciating the fact that Benidorm is one single destination and not a few towns grouped together.

You may think that my comments are quite passionate but if you come and visit us you will see for yourself that I am right and that my friends views are completely wrong.

What do you think ?

I hope that I have been able to  show what Benidorm is today. Have a look at the video  that you can find in our blog about Benidorm.

Kind regards

Erik Devesa

Managing Director – Commercial Area

Grupo Centauro