A percentage of the thousands of passengers flying out of Southampton International Airport this coming Easter period will be heading for the Spanish regions of Alicante and Malaga, it has been reported.

The Daily Echo reports that an almost-record-breaking numbers of people will be using the southern hub, as they seek sunnier weather and a break from England.

Some 31,000 passengers are expected to pass through the terminals at Southampton, as they head to hotels, apartments and investment properties, among other accommodation, across Europe.

Earlier this month, budget airline easyJet released a statement saying that the two aforementioned Spanish locations were set to be popular with its customers during the Easter holiday period.

Popular tourist areas, such as Malaga and Alicante, are often seen by investors as ideal places to purchase property - due to the regular demand for accommodation.

Around 100,000 visitors will be heading to Malaga this June for what is being billed as the “first completely interactive leisure industry trade show”.

People are expected to flock to the Costa del Sol from countries around the world to watch and take part in Todo Ocio at Malaga’s Trade Show and Congress Centre.

The idea behind the show is to provide a platform for leisure industry companies and sports-related groups to network, while at the same time showcasing the sector to the general public and other visitors.

Malaga city council and the Provincial Council, as well as other local agencies and institutions, will be collaborating with Madrid-based Sistemas Publicitarios, which is organising the three-day event between June 13th and 15th.

The official website of the show calls Malaga “the capital of entertainment” and invites people to let the show “entertain and amaze” them due to the “presence of the most important companies”.

Taxi drivers in the Costa del Sol tourist town of Malaga have opted not to go on strike in the build-up to this Easter weekend, it has been reported.

La Opinion de Malaga revealed that a written agreement produced by Malaga City Hall has prompted the workers to call off strike action they had planned earlier this month, according to TypicallySpanish.com.

Regular meetings will now be held between taxi drivers and the city hall from March 27th, while the drivers themselves will gather frequently to discuss matters related to the taxi-viability plan being suspended.

Prior to the decision, the planned protest over the unused licences of self-employed drivers being used in alternative ways, had threatened to cause problems on the roads during two of Malaga’s busiest days in springtime.

Budget airline easyJet recently announced that its UK to Malaga routes are going to be some of the busiest during the Easter period.

Health is the main ingredient of a happy life in Spain, both the male and female population of the country have said.

EFE reports that a new survey conducted by Coca Cola found that this was the top factor, while money and love were placed close behind, according to TypicallySpanish.com.

As well as considering these things important, the happy Spaniard is likely to be married or have a stable partner, and be between the ages of 26 and 35.

Having one or two children is also part of the typically-content Spanish person’s profile, the research - which involved 3,000 people - suggested.

Listening to music, visiting the cinema or the theatre and sleeping a siesta were all revealed to be favourite pastimes of the average Spanish individual.

IdealSpain.com states that Spanish life is often lived on the streets and “the atmosphere is especially vibrant at fiesta time”.

A new book, which includes “valuable information” for people looking to move to Spain, has been released.

Various issues are covered in the publication, including Spanish lifestyle, how to choose a location and the best ways to settle in the Mediterranean country.

We’ve Gone to Spain is written by Tom Provan, a former marketing and public relations professional who left England for southern Europe. Much of what is included in the book revolves around his personal experiences.

A great deal of what is stated is positive about the country, while a number of the stories he recalls may make readers laugh.

Mr Provan and his family chose the Costa del Sol as a place to reside, but the book highlights the benefits of a number of areas - including the Costa Brava.

In the internet version of the publication, the writer states: “The secret to success in buying the right property is the right research. And in every country the main consideration is location, location, location.”

Suggestions that the European house price boom is over are a “bit over the top”, according to an industry expert.

In reaction to Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) research that said slowing house prices across Europe meant it was the end of an era of substantial growth, Association of International Property Professionals (AIPP) chief executive Paul Owen indicated this was too negative a theory.

“It is a bit apocalyptic to talk about the boom being over because prices have slowed,” he commented.

There are still people out there who would like to buy overseas property, it is just a case of them waiting to see what is going to happen to the economy in the coming months, he added.

Mr Owen also highlighted emigration statistics, saying that there are still a high number of Britons looking to leave the UK on a full-time basis.

AIPP is the industry body for the world’s property sector.

Spain is still a dream destination for many British people looking to purchase overseas property, it has been claimed.

According to southern Spanish newspaper Sur, many UK buyers are undeterred by recent negative publicity surrounding foreign property investment and view Spain as one of the most desirable places in the world to own a home.

Sur made these comments after attending the recent Homebuyers and Property Investors Exhibition at the ExCel centre in London, where many Britons spoke to the newspaper about their hopes of moving to Spain or buying a second home on the southern Costas.

Rebekah Lowe of Livingstone Estates told Sur that although some professional investors may be tempted by emerging markets where prices are lower, people looking to buy a property for their own use will continue to be attracted to Spain.

“Spain is for living in and people will always want Spanish properties,” she commented.

According to a recent report from Spanish property website Kyero.com, coastal regions such as the Costa Blanca and Costa del Sol remain “at the fore of the public psyche” for UK people hoping to move abroad.

Music lovers are advised to head to the Costa Azahar this week, as the sixth Hondarribia-Peniscola International Guitar Festival is set to begin on Thursday evening.

Running from March 20th to 23rd, the event will feature a series of concerts in the “incomparable setting” of the Salon Gotico at Papa Luna’s Castle, Communitat Valenciana reports.

Guitar players from all over the world will travel to Peniscola to demonstrate their mastery of an instrument which plays a major role in the musical and cultural heritage of Spain.

In addition, a series of guided walks around the pretty coastal town have been organised to coincide with the festival, meaning that newcomers to the area can explore “every delightful corner” of Peniscola between musical interludes.

The guitar festival and guided tours should provide both holidaymakers and local property owners with the perfect opportunity to get to know one of Castellon province’s most picturesque towns a little better.

Peniscola’s dramatic seafront fortifications mean that it is often referred to as the Gibraltar of Valencia.

Motorists in Alicante province could soon be enjoying shorter journey times if proposals for a larger inland carriageway are given the go-ahead.

According to Typically Spanish, the infrastructure department at the Generalitat de Valencia has put forward a draft proposal for a new wider road to run inland from Vinalopo and ease congestion on the Alicante-Madrid motorway.

Under the road scheme, over 26 kilometres of the existing CV-83 road will be converted into a dual carriageway and a new connection with the neighbouring province of Murcia will be established.

Local officials in the towns close to the road, including Novelda, Monovar and Pinoso, are currently considering the proposals.

A second ring road around Alicante city was opened in December 2007 to improve access to the airport and other amenities on the Costa Blanca. The new road is divided into four toll sections and was constructed at a cost of €1 billion, Typically Spanish reported.

The Costa del Sol’s warm climate helps those with arthritis and other age-related ailments feel more comfortable, it has been suggested.

According to the Western Mail, a number of Britons moving to this part of Spain report such benefits.

In addition to the health factors, there is a relatively large ex-pat community on the Costa del Sol, which ensures that anyone who wants to retire to the popular Spanish destination "[will] not feel isolated" on arrival.

The newspaper also states that the region is one of the main locations of choice for Britons over the age of 50.

Sun, sea and sand are in abundance in this Spanish coastal area - with towns and villages such as Torremolinos, Velez-Malaga and Torrox offering all of this and more.

Other sites of interest include the latter’s Roman complex, dubbed El Faro de Torrox and its Nuestra Senora de la Encarnacion parish church.