Golf4uAlicante Blog

Volcano threatens high season
Costa hotels have lost millions and experts forecast a troublesome summer
RATHER than storm clouds gathering over the Costas this summer season, it is a cloud of another sort threatening to scupper any hopes the tourism sector had of recovering from a disastrous 2009 and of recuperating the failing British market.

Hotel chains are reporting that cancellations of advance bookings are increasing due the uncertainty being caused by the continuing eruption of the Icelandic volcano.
They say tourists are extremely worried that if they travel outside of the countries they may find themselves stranded abroad if the volcano has another major eruption.
A spokesman said that if people are refusing to take the risk there is little that can be done, but he warned the increasing losses being experienced by the sector will have a knock-on effect that will lead to more unemployment.

The situation for the sector is that when flights are cancelled nobody is coming in to fill empty bed spaces, which for hotels is the worst case scenario.

Javier Luri, president of Alicante hotels association, said the fallout from the ash cloud is not only affecting the hotels that deal with groups seeking the sun and beaches, inland areas are also being hit hard because the airports that serve them are subject to closure as well.
That apart, the tourist apartment sector managed to equal its April 2009 occupation rates this year, despite the crisis caused by the volcano.