A1Travel has just released their analysis of their bestselling holidays so far in 2016, and, once again, Benidorm tops the list.

(TRAVPR.COM) SPAIN - March 7th, 2016 - Bookings for the popular Spanish resort have risen by 20% year on year. During the same period, demand for Greek or Turkish holidays has fallen. This is, in part, due to the refugee crisis. The Greek islands of Kos and Lésvos have been particularly badly affected.

Last year, the number of refugees stranded on these islands ran into the tens of thousands. Many towns and resorts were left struggling to cope with the influx. For example, in August, there were 23,000 people stuck in Mytilíni, which is the capital city of Lésvos.

Understandably, many tourists took the decision to book somewhere else for their next holiday, a fact that has greatly benefited Benidorm. Increasingly, sun seekers are opting to stay in the popular Spanish resort rather than visit Turkey or Greece.

Unrest and terrorist incidents in other countries has also seen more holidaymakers returning to destinations that are closer to home. This is mostly because they are perceived as being safe places to visit.

The airing of season six of the popular TV series ‘Benidorm’ has also helped to fuel demand for the Spanish resort. Several search engines and comparison sites reported that the use of the search term ‘Benidorm’ soared when the first episode of the new season was shown. On one site, the number of searches carried out for Benidorm rose by over 100%. The impact the series has had is demonstrated by the fact that so many people are trying to book themselves into the Solana, which is the main hotel featured in the show.

In real life, the hotel is called the Sol Pelicanos, which has a sister hotel called the Ocas. Both hotels are now very popular with UK holidaymakers.

Demand shows no signs of slowing down. If anything, it is picking up, the first two months of 2016 have been particularly busy. Leon Shanahan head of marketing at A1travel, advises those who want to holiday in Benidorm to book early. He said:

"If holidaymakers are looking to book Benidorm for peak dates, in 2016, I urge them to book asap as we already have hotels that are fully booked for July and August and last minute deals for this period will be thin on the ground”

However, there are still a few last minute Benidorm deals available for March. For example, A1Travel is offering holidaymakers the chance to spend 7 nights in three star self-catering accommodation, for as little as £145 per person. Flights to and from several UK airports are included in that price. 

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