Costa del Sol Villas

As Briton heads out of a recession holidaymakers are starting to head back to the popular overseas holiday hotspots such as Benalmadena and Marbella on the Costa del Sol in Spain.

Brits who have sold holiday homes on the Costa del Sol could be in line for a tax windfall after being overcharged by the Spanish tax authorities.

Marbella is in good shape despite tough economic times which have taken their toll on some major tourism hotspots. New investments are planned for the city including the extravagant plans of the Qatari sheik Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani.

With universities across the United Kingdom reporting increased applications from prospective students and many already oversubscribed Marbella University is welcoming British students looking to study in Spain.

Leading travel agencies have been forced to reduce prices on package holidays by up to 70% as a result of an unprecedented fall in demand. The ash cloud, various strikes and a change in travellers booking habits have lead to an estimated one million unsold deals.

Visitors to popular Spanish holiday spots could face on the spot fines of up to £500 if they are caught speeding after the Spanish government installed a high hi-tech speed camera system.

Excessive amounts of unsold hotels and flights caused by collapsed tour operators, strikes and the ash cloud have lead to a rock bottom prices in the package holiday market. Some holidays have been slashed by as much as 60% in a last ditch attempt to increase volume.

Owners of furnished holiday homes both in the UK and abroad in popular holiday hotspots such as the Costa del Sol in Spain and the Algarve in Portugal could be affected by a new taxation law being introduced by the coalition government.

Holidaymakers heading overseas are being advised to keep a close eye on their passport to avoid causing themselves a holiday nightmare. Figures released by the government's Identity and Passport Service revealed that over 60,000 passports were reported missing or stolen between April 2009 and March 2010.