Costa Blanca tourism seeks new air routes

TOURISM Costa Blanca is in Scotland promoting the province and showcasing the potential of Alicante-Elche airport to airlines.

The tourism board is participating in the Routes Europe Fair in Aberdeen, meeting with the major companies to address the possibility of new flight routes from Alicante-Elche to various points in the rest of Europe.

The delegation, headed by the CEO of the tourism board, Jose Mancebo, met with representatives of easyJet, one of the low-cost airlines with a greater presence at the airport, to bolster the number of flights for the next summer season. Flights to Rome, London, Geneva, Basel and Hamburg, among others, were discussed.

The board also met with officials from Jet2.com, looking at targeting potential customers in Leeds, boosting passengers in low season, and promoting sports and gastronomy-related tourism.

Mancebo stressed that in addition to promoting the area as a traditional sun and beach destination, other aspects including tourism-related conferences, conventions and business trips should be highlighted.

“According to official figures, 11 per cent of passengers arriving at Alicante-Elche do so for work, a very interesting niche market we want to promote and increase,” he remarked.