BRITISH holidaymakers in Benidorm will have to pre-book their spot on the beach this weekend.
Benidorm mayor Toni Perez confirmed the much-anticipated hi-tech system would go live at midday this Thursday, after the resort’s beaches came close to reaching maximum capacity last weekend.
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Benidorm’s beaches came close to reaching maximum capacity last weekend Credit: Solarpix
The pioneering scheme was announced last month but had yet to be implemented because of the lack of foreign holidaymakers.
Friday will be the first day sunseekers will need to have pre-booked before they are allowed on the sand, although only for Levante beach which is one of Benidorm’s two most popular beaches.
No date for the activation of the pre-booking system for Poniente Beach has yet been announced.
Today Mr Perez said: “We have a system of reservations and limits on the amount of people who can use our beaches that mean we have the safest beaches in Europe.
“People will be able to book their spot on the beach for the following day, so this Friday will be the first day beachgoers will have had to use the system to be able to access the beach.
“The system will only be implemented from Thursday at midday for Levante Beach where some problems in terms of people being able to enjoy the beach as they should, have been detected
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Friday will be the first day sunseekers will need to have pre-booked before they are allowed on the sandCredit: Solarpix
He added: “Last weekend and on Saturday especially more than 29,000 people were on our beaches.
“Controlling the amount of people on the beach is a legal obligation and we want to make sure as many as possible can enjoy sunbathing and swimming as possible during any one day.”
Local media had been speculating the pre-booking system would be up and running at some point this week after the busiest weekend so far this year on Benidorm’s beaches.
The famous resort was given a boost at the start of the month when the King and Queen of Spain enjoyed a meet and greet with holidaymakers during a visit.
The new rules are part of a so-called ‘Benidorm Beach Safety Plan’.
Tourists already have to stay within one of 5,000 13x13ft squares marked out on its famous Poniente and Levante beaches – colour-coded blue for general use or red for the over-70s who have been allocated designated areas.
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Ball games have also been banned outside of areas which are normally provided on a permanent basis for beach volley and football.
Beach users will be able to reserve online or in person at one of several reservation stands.
A message on the website – benidormbeachsafety.es – said in English today: “Benidorm. The safest beaches for summer. We have created a booking and capacity control system that make us have the safest beaches in Europe.”
Web users pressing a ’Book Your Space’ button underneath receive the follow-up message: “Choose the beach and book your space. Coming soon. That is due to change from midday at Thursday.”
Earlier today, Sun Online shared eerie videos of a deserted Benidorm taken by a British tourist.
Stephen Feather, 39, took the videos to show what the normally bustling resort had become post-Covid during a five-day break with his partner Claire Mckeown, 39, last week.
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