The Elche City Council has reviewed the recent Holy Week, highlighting the massive public participation and the event's tourism success. The most crowded processions were those on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, each attracting approximately 70,000 people. Holy Thursday night was also notable, with over 50,000 attendees accompanying the Cristo de Zalamea.
Favorable weather contributed to the celebration, with a consistent flow of attendees throughout the week. Palm Sunday afternoon gathered around 40,000 people, while Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, and Holy Wednesday each saw 35,000 attendees daily. The same figure was recorded on Good Friday during the general procession, which included the traditional Trencà del Guió in Plaça de Baix.
From a tourism perspective, the area's councilor, Irene Ruiz, emphasized the excellent hotel occupancy. During the first weekend, coinciding with Palm Sunday, the city achieved 93% occupancy, surpassing 2025 figures by two points. From Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday, several establishments reported occupancy rates above 95%, with some nearing full capacity. The Samay La Marina Resort tourist complex also reported average occupancy rates above 93%, attributed to the appeal of Holy Week.
“"This demonstrates the growing importance of Holy Week as a tourist attraction in Elche, which annually consolidates its position as one of the main weeks of the year, as reflected in the data."
Tourist offices also experienced an increase in visitors, with over 600 inquiries on Palm Sunday alone. National tourists primarily came from the Valencian Community, Madrid, Catalonia, Castilla y León, Basque Country, and Andalusia. Internationally, inquiries were registered from French, British, Belgian, Dutch, and German tourists, with a notable increase in Polish visitors over the past two years. Additionally, tourist assistance services were reinforced at the beaches with offices in Arenales del Sol and La Marina.
The president of the Major Board of Brotherhoods and Guilds, Joaquín Martínez, praised the collective effort of the city, highlighting Elche's capacity to organize large-scale events. He also noted the increase in young people and Nazarenes in the processional retinues. For his part, the superintendent of the Elche Local Police, Israel Marco, thanked the public and the hospitality sector for their responsibility, as no significant incidents occurred. Security reinforcements along the coast will continue this week in Arenales del Sol, La Marina, and El Altet. Finally, the special cleaning operation involved 190 workers and 80 vehicles, with individualized attention to each procession and increased staff in tourist areas and beaches.
