Temporary population estimates of mass tourism destinations: The case of Benidorm

Benidorm (Spain) is a large-scale tourism destination on the Mediterranean coast, and its temporary population can be divided into users of regulated tourist accommodation and unregistered visitors, as occurs in other destinations. The number of these different types of unregistered temporary inhabitants should be estimated separately to gauge more accurate population figures in tourist destinations which are subject to seasonality. Indicators such as drinking water consumption or solid waste generation are used to estimate the number of unregistered visitors. The results reveal that the average total population of Benidorm at least doubles the registered resident population. Additionally, a population density index has been calculated to assess urban sustainability. The methodology adopted can be applied to other case studies in order to estimate total populations, which is vital for the adequate provision of public services.