The popular UK television series Benidorm, which plays on the outdated stereotypes of those who go to the Spanish resort, has prompted a huge surge in interest in the destination, according to travelsupermarket.com.

Figures released by the travel comparison website show that searches to the destination have increased by 159 per cent during the programme on the night the programme is aired, compared to searches for the destination at the same time on other nights of the week.

The idea of ‘screenspiration’ is by no means a new phenomenon - previous travelsupermarket.com research showed that one in five British travellers have been inspired to go to a destination after seeing it in a film. Destinations such as New Zealand (Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and Australia (as featured in the Baz Luhrmann film of the same name) received significant tourism boosts after they received publicity through films.

Bob Atkinson, travel expert from travelsupermarket.com, said: “People love to be inspired by films, TV and celebrities for their holidays and it’s great to see such a surge in interest to Benidorm.

Those looking for a good value deal on a trip to the Spanish resort should shop around and use price comparison to make sure they get the best deal. It is worth comparing the price of booking separate flights and accommodation to the cost of a package holiday deal to see which offers the best value, especially with the huge number of low cost flights to Alicante and a wide range of accommodation types, from villas to 5 star hotels, self catering to all inclusive.

“Benidorm is enjoying a bit of a renaissance and represents great value at the moment; it’s the perfect recession destination where you can have a good time without spending a fortune and this is clearly demonstrated on the show.”

Benidorm statistic sourced by travelsupermarket.com on 15 March 2011 and based on figures for bookings w/c 28 February 2011