Piscina Barcelona 2027 examines the impact of tourism, residential development and the business landscape on the pool industry
The Valencia Region consolidates its position as Spain’s second-largest pool market
Piscina Barcelona launches its new “Regional Focus” initiative with an in-depth analysis of the pool market in the Valencia Region, Spain’s second largest after Andalusia. The report highlights the key role played by tourism, second homes, the hotel sector and the Mediterranean climate in shaping the market, which is also supported by a well-established and highly specialised business ecosystem.
The Valencia Region has 254,792 swimming pools, accounting for 18.7% of the 1.36 million installations across Spain. With a population of 5.53 million, the region has 46 pools per 1,000 inhabitants, compared with a national average of 27. It is also home to 343 companies specialising in pool construction, equipment and maintenance.
The high concentration of pools is largely explained by an economic and residential model closely linked to tourism and supported by a climate offering more than 3,700 hours of sunshine a year across the region’s three provinces. In 2024, the Valencia Region welcomed 10.6 million international visitors and had more than 65,000 properties registered for tourist accommodation. By province, Alicante accounts for 132,227 pools, Valencia for 102,720 and Castellón for 19,845.
According to Alfonso Ribarrocha of Action Waterspaces tourism acts as “a major driver of the aquatic leisure sector”, encompassing water parks, hotels, campsites and municipal swimming pools. He also points to the high density of pools in private homes and residential communities, which has fostered the creation of “a significant and highly professional business ecosystem around the pool industry.”
Ribarrocha believes that this accumulated expertise, combined with the region’s entrepreneurial culture, makes the Valencia Region “an excellent breeding ground for the economic development of the pool industry.”
A predominantly residential market
The residential pool segment defines the Valencia market. Residential pools account for 89% of all installations, or 227,761 pools, while the remaining 11%, totalling 27,031, are commercial and public-use facilities. Overall, the region’s residential pools represent almost one fifth of Spain’s total stock of privately used aquatic facilities.
Alicante stands out in this segment, with 113,714 residential pools, compared with 96,256 in Valencia and 17,791 in Castellón. This concentration is particularly evident along Alicante’s coastal belt, where just 13 municipalities account for 51,633 private pools, 39% of the provincial total. These include Jávea, Dénia, Alicante, Rojales and Torrevieja.
The close relationship between tourism and swimming pools is also reflected in the region’s hotel sector. The Valencia Region has 1,076 hotels in operation. Among the three- to five-star properties analysed, 54.4% of hotels in Alicante have a swimming pool, compared with 36% in Castellón and 27.2% in Valencia.
From an aquatic leisure perspective, Luis Perea Esteve, Managing Director of Aqua Natura Benidorm, highlights the role of these facilities in complementing the tourism offer: “Benidorm is the epicentre of Mediterranean holiday tourism, and our parks act as a driver of diversification while providing a distinctive family leisure offering.” In his view, integrating these attractions with the accommodation sector also helps draw international visitors, extend the length of stays and reduce seasonality.
Municipal public pools
The picture changes when it comes to municipal swimming pools. Here, Valencia leads the ranking with 359 municipal pool basins, compared with 155 in Alicante and 115 in Castellón. Altogether, the Valencia Region’s public swimming pool network comprises 629 municipal basins, representing 10.5% of the Spanish total.
The diversity of the Valencia market, combining residential pools, tourism-related facilities and public infrastructure, has helped create a substantial business ecosystem and a highly specialised value chain.
The Valencia Region is home to 343 pool-sector companies, including manufacturers, distributors, installers and service providers. Of these, 205 are based in Alicante, 100 in Valencia and 38 in Castellón, giving a regional average of 743 pools per company. At provincial level, the ratio stands at 1,027 pools per company in Valencia, 645 in Alicante and 522 in Castellón.
According to Víctor Martínez of Productos QP, the strength of the Valencia Region lies precisely in “the combination of market demand and a strong business ecosystem. There is genuine, established demand here, alongside companies that have learned how to compete, innovate and adapt,” he says.
Martínez also highlights the technological transformation taking place across the industry. Swimming pools have become increasingly sophisticated products, with a growing role for electronics, automation, heat pumps, smart control systems and advanced water treatment technologies. This evolution is creating new opportunities for pool refurbishment and for replacing ageing equipment with more efficient solutions.
Water as part of architecture
Alongside the industry’s economic and tourism dimensions, the “Regional Focus” initiative explores the Valencia Region’s relationship with water from an architectural and design perspective. For architect Ramón Esteve, “water is another material in architecture” and should be incorporated into a project according to the same principles as stone, timber, light or shade.
In Mediterranean architecture, Esteve explains, water has historically been used to provide cooling, reflect light and create a sense of calm. He therefore argues that the swimming pool should not be conceived as an isolated or purely functional feature, but rather as an extension of the home and as a space for relaxation, social interaction and connection with the surrounding landscape.
This approach resonates with a society accustomed to living alongside water, but also keenly aware of its scarcity. Energy efficiency, automation, smart maintenance and reduced water consumption are therefore emerging as some of the key challenges and opportunities for the Valencia Region’s pool industry in the years ahead.
Piscina Barcelona 2027
“Regional Focus” is Piscina Barcelona’s programme designed to explore the characteristics, needs and opportunities of Spain’s main regional pool markets in greater depth. The initiative combines market intelligence with direct dialogue involving companies, industry associations, installers, professionals, tourism operators, public authorities and specifiers.
The insights gathered will help shape the content of Piscina Barcelona 2027, including conferences, case studies, debates and networking sessions addressing the priorities identified across the different regions.
Organised by Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with ASOFAP, the trade show will take place from 15 to 18 November 2027 at the Gran Via venue. It expects to bring together more than 450 exhibitors from 30 countries and attract over 20,000 trade visitors, with an offering focused on the swimming pool, wellness and outdoor living industries.
Barcelona, November 2026
MORE INFORMATION (market study and industry interviews): here
Maria Dolors Herranz
Tel. +34 93 233 25 41
[email protected]