Pre-Eurovision bash Benidorm Fest is also a Benidorm Publicity Fest

BENIDORM FEST, the recent series of television galas to select Spain’s Eurovision entry, has also put Benidorm in the spotlight.
The state broadcaster RTVE’s daily coverage  included morning, afternoon and evening programmes linked to the Eurovision selection process.
In one of these, La Gran Consulta, Benidorm’s mayor Toni Perez appeared with the Levante beach in the background, allowing him to draw attention to the resort’s attractions and, in particular,  the microclimate responsible for its consistently benign weather.
Herick Campos, director general of the Valencia region’s Tourist Board, was also present, as the Valencian Community’s regional government, the Generalitat, has collaborated with RTVE and Benidorm on staging Benidorm Fest.
Audiences attending the two semi-finals and the final that produced the song and artist to represent Spain in Turin next May had to be reduced owing to 500 for each performance, owing to the pandemic.
To compensate for the restricted numbers, four giant screens have been installed along the Levante beach promenade so that nobody will need to miss the final on January 29.
Meanwhile, Costa Blanca hoteliers’ association Hosbec admitted in the Spanish media that in the week preceding the galas held in the l’Illa sports centre, increased hotel occupancy owed more to the presence of technical crews the artists, their entourages and media than to the public.
As an exercise in marketing, Benidorm Fest has brought invaluable publicity, Hosbec said, but predicted that the 2023 edition – which will also be held in Benidorm – would have a far more noticeable effect on occupancy and the local economy.