People who are keen to invest in Spanish property are being encouraged to look at an area which was immortalised in a James Bond movie.

The legendary spy was played by Pierce Brosnan when he visited Costa del la Luz in 2002’s Die Another Day.

In fact, it was here that the famous scene with a bikini-clad Halle Berry was filmed, deliberately echoing a similar scene featuring Ursula Andress 40 years earlier.

Whereas the sequence in 1962’s Dr No was filmed in Jamaica, its modern-day equivalent was shot in Cadiz - the oldest city in Europe.

According to the Telegraph, this has helped bring “new-found glamour” to a region that has so far been largely overlooked by foreign property buyers.

The newspaper commented: “Locations that were considered exotically remote while Bond was causing mayhem in them now read like a list of overseas hotspots.”

Tourists from the UK are increasingly allowing their culinary tastes determine their choice of holiday destination, new research has revealed.

According to travel website Expedia.co.uk, about one in ten British leisure travellers plan their trip around areas which are famous for certain delicacies.

This could help to explain the continuing popularity of Spain among British tourists, as it is famous across the world for dishes such as paella, tapas and gazpacho soup.

Commenting on the findings, Alison Couper of Expedia.co.uk said they show that many stereotypes about holidaymakers from the UK are not true.

She remarked: “Brits are becoming more dedicated to immersing themselves in the home-grown local cuisine.”

Ms Couper added that the research underlines the fact that UK citizens are becoming more and more adventurous with their culinary choices while overseas.

Spain’s popularity among tourists from the UK was recently highlighted by the Association of British Travel Agents, which described it as their “outright favourite”.

Holidaymakers from the UK are apparently spending most of their break lying by the pool within their hotel complex, according to experts.

Research by Halifax found that the average British tourist spends the vast majority of their holiday lazing about and sleeping.

The financial provider added that by the time evening comes around, visitors stay in the same complex and drink in the hotel bar.

However, the findings have been met with criticism by one of the leading organisations within the UK travel industry.

Speaking to the Independent, Sean Tipton of the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) said Britons are not “unadventurous” when on holiday.

He commented: “Britons have been going abroad for about 40 years and our holidaying habits are incredibly varied.”

Abta recently identified Spain as a hotspot for British tourists, describing it as the “outright favourite” among those who went abroad during Easter.

Areas such as the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol are still popular locations for foreign property buyers, a British newspaper has revealed.

According to the Telegraph, the Spanish coastline is still a “big draw” for overseas investors, partly because it is so easy to get to.

This, it stated, is despite the growing trend of foreign buyers looking for possible investment opportunities further inland.

The Telegraph added that the Costas are also successfully facing off competition from les-established locations in other parts of the world, such as eastern Europe.

Commenting on its appeal to investors, the newspaper said: “It is certainly facing much stiffer competition. Nevertheless, it remains a hugely popular destination.”

The publication stated that the region is appealing to different types of buyers, such as retirees who are planning to live abroad full-time and those who are seeking financial returns from their investment.

Spain was recently identified as the most popular location among British buyers in a poll by A Place in the Sun magazine.

More people are using Monarch Airlines’ scheduled services, new data from the carrier has revealed.

The services in question include flights to Spain and Gibraltar, which may alert potential property investors who are assessing their buying options in these areas.

High visitor numbers to a country often make it a more sought-after investment property location, as overseas buyers have more of a market to target.

Monarch Airlines stated that there was a 9.5 per cent increase in passenger numbers in March, compared to the same month in 2007.

This year’s March passengers figures of 281,994 were up 24,461 on March 2007’s figures of 257,533.

Both Monarch Airlines’ scheduled and charter services reportedly carried a combined total of 501,017 passengers during the course of March 2008.

Alicante, Malaga and Murcia are among the 11 Spanish destinations Monarch Airlines flies to from the UK.

British Airways (BA) has confirmed that it is to begin operating new flights between the UK and Spain.

The carrier will roll out services to places such as Alicante and Palma from Gatwick Airport ahead of this year’s peak summer holiday season.

Routes to other Spanish destinations including Ibiza and Malaga will also be added to its timetables.

Meanwhile, BA is also planning to add extra flights to Spain from other London-based airports.

Consumers will soon be able to travel on an extra route between Heathrow and Malaga, as well as flights from London City Airport to Barcelona.

The number of extra services reflects the continued interest in Spain and demand for convenient travel links with the country.

BA’s new services could directly contribute to an increase in visitor numbers to places such as Alicante and Malaga, thereby boosting their appeal to British property investors.

A Place in the Sun recently revealed that Spain is the number one location for buyers of foreign property from the UK.

One airline is interested in starting routes to Alicante, Malaga and other Spanish destinations from Norwich International Airport this year, according to the managing director of the East Anglian hub.

Richard Jenner told the Norwich Evening News that these services - known as sun routes - could be offered again in the coming months, following Flybe’s decision to cancel them last July.

More routes into Spain from the UK may alert property investors to the country as accessibility to a nation is traditionally an important consideration for people who buy bricks and mortar abroad.

Mr Jenner told the newspaper: “Since Flybe pulled off that route we have been talking to about ten airlines - most of them want to start from next summer but there is one interested in starting this year.”

He added that the airport hopes to announce further information within the next two weeks.

Earlier this week, budget airline easyJet started routes from Manchester Airport to Malaga, having set up a base at the north-west hub.

La Sella Golf de Denia in Alicante will host the Valencian Community Investments European Ladies Golf Cup this week.

Having beaten the Algarve in its bid to host the competition, the venue will attract some of the best female golfers in the world between Thursday April 3rd and Sunday April 6th.

Comunitat Valenciana, the tourism website for the Region of Valencia, reports that players Trish Johnson and Ibenn Tinning chose to be present in this tournament despite lucrative offers to play in a conflicting event in the US.

The portal states that they were attracted to the Spanish golf course due to “the very specific nature of the La Sella competition”.

The pre-selection for the event means spectators will be able “to enjoy an unprecedented display of golf in Denia”, the site adds. Furthermore, the US and Australia will be competing in two types of matchplay over the four days, which will offer yet more excitement.

Major sporting events attract crowds of people, which is a factor property investors may consider when choosing a location. The city of Valencia recently hosted a world indoor athletics championship, proving the Region of Valencia is a credible sporting venue.

Accessibility to a country is one of the most important factors to consider when eyeing up a property purchase away from the UK.

This is according to the Telegraph, which reports that regional governments are always keen to attract budget airlines - such as easyJet, Monarch and Ryanair - to establish routes linking to their regions.

Destinations with more links to foreign countries can be attractive to investors as they know that there could be more of a market to tap into.

However, the newspaper does warn that investors need to be aware of the negative side of this - when carriers drop services unexpectedly.

It states that airlines can change their plans “with little warning”, which is something those people making an overseas property investment should be aware of.

One reason Spain has been popular for property investment is because there are frequent flights from a variety of airlines and airports across the UK.

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.