Why Benidorm embraces Spain’s Franco-era mass tourism model

Shorouk Express Fifty years after General Francisco Franco’s death, Benidorm still clings to the mass tourism model it pioneered under his dictatorship, even as protests against overtourism sweep other Spanish holiday hotspots. Built on bikinis, skyscrapers and package holidays, the industry reshaped socially conservative Spain’s image abroad and brought in much-needed foreign currency. “There are…

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Copenhagen’s guide to sustainable tourism

Shorouk Express “During 2024, the Spanish tourism sector experienced its best year since 2019. Its contribution to GDP rose by almost 8% to €248.7 billion, or 15.6% of the economy. It also employed 3 million people, nearly 14% of the country’s total jobs,” the World Travel & Tourism Council reported in May. For many Spaniards,…

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