Bars in the tourist hotspot of Benidorm are fully prepared for England’s World Cup football debut today, Wednesday 17th June, at 10pm against Croatia, with up to 50,000 litres of cold beer stocked in their cold rooms.
The Benidorm hospitality association, which represents more than 500 establishments, estimates that an average of over 80 litres of beer will be served per venue tomorrow. This represents a 30 per cent increase compared to usual trading, driven by the broadcast of the England versus Croatia match.
The majority of bars and restaurants have installed large screens in both their indoor areas and terraces so that fans can follow the progress of their national team. Business owners are well aware that English fans are major consumers of sports, particularly during tournaments like the World Cup.
Irene Carreño, the manager of the Association of Bars, Restaurants, Cafeterias and Nightlife (Abreca), stated that matches involving Spain and England attract a significant portion of attention. This is also the case for knockout matches featuring tournament favourites, as well as the semi-finals and the grand final of previous tournaments, where beer consumption has historically doubled.
Thousands of British visitors, particularly from England and Scotland, whose national teams are competing in the World Cup, have chosen the tourist capital of the Alicante Costa Blanca to combine supporting their teams with good weather and excellent local cuisine. These days, the area is experiencing almost summer-like conditions.
This trend is reflected in an 18 per cent increase in flights from the United Kingdom to the Alicante-Elche airport for destinations heading to Benidorm during the World Cup dates. A large proportion of these visitors will gather in front of the dozens of giant screens in the bars of the popular tourist district located next to Levante beach.
