Economic Sectors
Tourism, an expanding sector
The economic diversity experienced by Elche in recent years, supported by the solid background of the shoe industry, has led to a high level of business and public investment aimed at strengthening the service sector, mainly tourism, which is becoming more and more important with the passing of time.
A trail through Elche’s palm grovesSince its establishment the local tourist board, Instituto Municipal de Turismo, has capitalised firstly, the bid to attain World Heritage Awards for the Palmeral (year 2000) and for the sacrolyric drama Misteri (2001) from UNESCO, and secondly, the temporary return of la Dama de Elche (the lady of Elche) and the inauguration of the archaeological history museum, el Museo Arqueológico y de Historia de Elche (MAHE), as points of reference on the line-up for Ilici-Elx 2006, which includes a multitude of exhibitions and shows an interesting vision of the city going back to its roots and coming right up to the present day.
Moreover, Elche boasts a wide range of attractions with which it can increase the number of tourists in a province which recorded 15 million overnight stays in hotels throughout 2005, one million more than the previous year.
Elche is one of the few cities which can boast two World Heritages 9km of enviably well-preserved beaches, together with a mild climate and a wide array of cultural offerings: archaeological sites such as l’Alcúdia, where La Dama de Elche, the Lady of Elche, was found, local festivals, numerous modern facilities for shows and conventions, museum trails, the palm groves and various natural areas… show the interest of the people of Elche in achieving a balance between tourism and conserving customs and natural values.
The increasing attraction of Elche and the increase in business activities aimed at tourism in the city are reflected in the increase in hotel rooms between the year 2000 and 2006, from 554 to 1,482, according to figures from the local tourist board, Instituto Municipal de Turismo. This improvement has also been seen in other accommodation facilities, such as hostels, apartments and campsites.
Arenales del SolElche has excellent three and four star hotels, numerous guest houses, hostels and campsites, as well as holiday flats both in the city itself and in the nearby coastal nuclei of el Altet, Arenales del Sol and la Marina d’Elx. In addition, the proximity of several golf courses, just a few kilometres from the city, completes the offer for tourists.
Last year 25,000 people passed through the modern congress centre Centro de Congresos Ciutat d’Elx, attending meetings, presentations and exhibitions organised within the complex. The centre can be found in an optimum environment, well-communicated, close to the historic centre of the city and tourist attractions as well as leisure and business facilities, such as the industrial area Elche, Parque Industrial and the trade fair centre Institución Ferial Alicantina.
One of the figures which shows the increase in importance of the tourism sector is the growth of employment, as in the period 2001-2005 (employees registered with Social Security) the number of companies with employees working in the hotel and catering industry rose from 229 to 603 (an increase of 163%). At the end of last year the sector had 3,015 employees registered with Social Security.
