The popularity of Spain among British holidaymakers has led to a surge in the number of people passing through a UK airport.

According to new figures, more than 534,000 people travelled through East Midlands Airport during May 2008 - 10.7 per cent up on the same period of 2007.

This was said to be partially due to the two bank holidays, which saw many local people jet off to places including Alicante and Malaga.

The two Spanish cities were flagged up as two of the most popular destinations for air passengers during this period.

Penny Coates, managing director of East Midlands Airport, commented: “This is a remarkable achievement given the current industry trends.”

This is the first time that monthly passenger numbers have exceeded half a million at the transport hub.

Spain was recently named as the most popular holiday destination among European consumers by Mondial Assistance.

ITV1’s Bafta-nominated sitcom Benidorm is set to return to Britain’s TV screens for a third series.

Eight episodes of the show, which stars Johnny Vegas and Steve Pemberton, have been commissioned along with an hour-long special.

Peter Fincham, director of television at ITV, said he is “delighted” that the popular series will be coming back next year.

He commented: “Benidorm has a fantastic mix of warmth, charm, and fun.”

The sitcom, which was created by Derren Little, was recently credited with inspiring a surge of interest in holidays to the region.

According to LateRooms.com, the number of bookings for trips to Benidorm doubled throughout the duration of its second series earlier this year.

Kathy Gwinnett, spokesperson for the website, praised the resort for offering a number of different attractions for holidaymakers, including affordable hotels, good beaches and a very lively atmosphere.

Much of the TV series was filmed at the Hotel Sol Pelicanos-Ocas in Benidorm, while many scenes were also recorded at places such as Morgan’s Tavern.

Many holidaymakers in Scotland are choosing to take breaks in traditional Spanish hotspots, it has been revealed.

Rick Green, chief executive of Flyglobespan, stated that flight sales from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen have gone up this year.

Speaking to the Daily Record, he said services to established European resorts such as Alicante are proving to be especially popular with consumers.

This suggests that people in Scotland are not being put off Spain by the fact that the pound is now at an all-time low against the euro.

Mr Green commented: “Although we are seeing strong demand for our non-Euro routes, our traditional European summer holiday destinations are still the most popular.”

He added that there has actually been an upturn in demand for flights to resorts including Alicante.

This area was recently flagged up by the Guardian as a good location for holidaymakers from the UK.

According to the newspaper, Alicante is a “real” city that offers a more authentic Spanish experience than some tourist hotspots.

Alicante has been named as one of the leading destinations for British holidaymakers this weekend.

According to the Independent, millions of people are set to travel abroad during the bank holiday period in order to get some “guaranteed sun”.

The newspaper said that many are hoping to find this in established European destinations such as Spain, in particular Alicante.

A spokesperson for BAA told the publication that London-based airports are set to be particularly busy, with 187,000 flying out from Heathrow today.

More than a million people are set to pass through the terminals of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted this weekend, she added.

This comes after low-cost airline easyJet revealed that its flights to Alicante have been in high demand.

The carrier stated that about 450,000 are set to board its flights during the bank holiday break weekend.

The Spanish Costas are set to be a major hotspot for holidaymakers from the UK this weekend, an airline has revealed.

According to budget carrier easyJet, about 450,000 are set to board its flights during the forthcoming bank holiday break.

The airline has stated that major resorts in Spain are among the most popular destinations, including Alicante and Malaga.

This is likely to be good news for tourist officials in the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, as well as people who are affiliated with the sector.

Commenting on Spain’s appeal, Marianne West of easyJet remarked: “It’s impossible to rely on the great British weather and let’s face it, sunshine and relaxation is far more appealing than DIY.”

She added that a record number of people are now choosing to spend their bank holiday break overseas.

According to the Post Office, Spain currently offers lower prices than any other nation in the single European currency.

The mayor of Costa Blanca has spoken out in favour of the popular holiday resort Benidorm.

Manuel Perez Fenoll described it as the perfect example of a sustainable resort, as buildings such as skyscrapers occupy less space than smaller structures, reports the Guardian.

He added that they also save on infrastructure, as fewer gas and water pipes are needed if they are only supplying a single building.

Mr Fenoll added that the resort does not deserve the negative image it has in some quarters, especially as it is becoming more and more eco-friendly.

He commented: “Some say the place has no green areas, but we are going to develop a big park and bring in a regulation saying every hotel must have a green area round it.”

The mayor was speaking after the recent death of Pedro Zaragoza Orts, the man who has been credited with creating Benidorm as it is today.

Benidorm was recently made the subject of a sitcom in the UK, which involved lots of location shooting.

Overseas property investors could be set to benefit from new opportunities in Spain, it has been revealed.

According to a study by estate agency Engel & Volkers, Malaga is currently seeing high levels of investment by local authorities and developers, reports Homes Worldwide.

Money is being pumped into a number of projects across the region, including the creation of new facilities and buildings.

Furthermore, new jobs are also being created due to the recent influx of international businesses.

This has resulted in positive economic growth across Malaga and the Costa Sol, thereby enhancing its appeal to foreign property buyers.

Commenting on the state of the market, Engel & Volkers said it currently offers plenty of potential for property buyers.

This comes after Homes Worldwide stated that the Spanish Costas are currently benefiting from the so-called “Ryanair Effect”, which means that areas serviced by low-cost airlines tend to have relatively high rates of house price inflation.

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.