Wetherspoon to launch first boozer abroad
JD Wetherspoon, the UK pub chain famed for its cheap beer and affordable fry-ups, is gearing up to open its first ever pub in Europe in a popular British holiday hotspot. The group’s boss, Tim Martin, says it aims to open more pubs overseas in the future.
Located in the departures area of the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport in Spain, the new boozer is set to open to the public at the end of January 2026.
The pub will be called Castell de Santa Bàrbera – taking its name from the medieval fortress located on Mount Benacantil in Alicante. It will trade seven days a week, from 6am to 9pm, serving food until an hour before closing time.
While the menu will mostly feature familiar ‘Spoons fare, such as English breakfasts, pizzas and burgers, a few Mediterranean staples will also be available, including Spanish omelettes and garlic prawns.
Overseas expansion plans
Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin said: “We are very much looking forward to opening our first overseas pub. We believe it will be popular with people travelling home from Alicante Airport. We aim to open a number of pubs overseas in the coming months and years, including those at airports.”
Previously, Martin has suggested it would make sense to launch the brand, which currently operates around 803 pubs in the UK, in popular travel hotspots like Majorca and Benidorm.
The Alicante site will span almost 1,000 sq ft, and will be set at one level with an external terrace area and added seating. Its opening fits with plans by the chain to open 30 new pubs in its current financial year: 15 managed pubs and 15 franchises.
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Anti-tourism sentient
Over the past two years, a slew of anti-tourism protests have taken places across Spain as citizens pushed back against a surging number of international visitors.
In retaliation, some Brits snubbed the southern European state, vowing not to visit destinations where they were “not wanted” (The Mirror). Rafel Roig, president of the Business Federation of Transport, said the anti-tourism rhetoric was “scaring visitors away”.
Brits continue to visit Spain
But data from Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) tell a different story. In July, Spain actually welcomed its highest number of visitors ever, at 11 million.
Tourism spending is also climbing rapidly, outstripping €76 billion so far this year, which seems to indicate that Spain’s reputation as a holiday mecca for British travellers remains untarnished.
In October, Alicante-Elche Airport welcomed 1.9 million passengers, an increase of 5.9 per cent compared to last year, and 631,771 of those passengers were Brits, representing over a third of passenger traffic, reported Spanish expat news outlet Olive Press.
The airport has had 17.2 million people pass through its doors so far in 2025, and it’s estimated it could reach the 20 million mark by the end of the year, according to Olive Press.
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