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Date Published: 04/12/2025

Ouigo boosts Alicante tourism with 51,000 monthly visitors, driving economic growth

Affordable high-speed rail connects cities and opens new travel opportunities across Spain

Since April 2023, Ouigo’s high-speed rail service between Alicante and Madrid has been steadily gaining pace, now carrying an average of 51,000 tourists monthly to Costa Blanca’s capital. According to an independent economic study by consulting firm Afi, this ranks as the third highest leisure tourism flow in Ouigo’s growing network, trailing only Barcelona and Valencia [earlier this year].

The report, titled The Ouigo Effect: The Real Impact of New Mobility in Spain, highlights how the service has significantly boosted local tourism by improving accessibility, contributing to an estimated 160,000 extra visitors between launch and December 2024 who would otherwise not have travelled to Alicante. These new visitors, spanning students, freelancers, and families, have added nearly 26,000 overnight stays in hotels and apartments: about 3% of all tourist nights during that time.

On the employment front, Ouigo’s presence in Alicante has helped increase Social Security registrations by 5,200, with 680 jobs directly benefiting the accommodation and hospitality sector.

Hélène Valenzuela, CEO of Ouigo Spain, emphasised the company’s mission to democratise high-speed rail. "We arrived in 2021 with a clear goal: to show that travelling well does not have to be for the few," she said. With over €700 million invested, more than 20 million passengers transported, and 460 new jobs created nationally, the liberalised rail market is proving a boost for consumers, competition, and the environment alike.

The network’s 15 connected destinations link major metropolitan hubs with smaller cities and provinces, fostering social and economic ties, particularly between Castile and León and the Mediterranean coast. Routes now also connect Alicante with Albacete, Cuenca, Segovia, and Valladolid, reinforcing regional cohesion.

Ouigo stands out by offering not just affordability, but quality service: they compensate passengers for delays of 30 minutes or less, more generous than legal requirements, and keep travellers proactively informed of their rights. As a result, 98% of users say they would recommend Ouigo.

For those in Alicante and beyond, Ouigo has become a game-changer, opening doors to new opportunities, trips, and economic benefits with speed and style.

Image: wikicommons

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