Editing Benidorm (section)

== History ==
It is thought{{by whom?|date=August 2024}} there were settlements in the Benidorm area possibly as far back as 3000 BC, including evidence of [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] and [[Punic]] remains. However, settlements in the area were small and it was not until the arrival of the [[Arabs]] that the local population began to grow during the era of the [[Umayyad dynasty]]. The Christian King [[James I of Aragon]] conquered the region in 1245, and Benidorm first officially became known in 1325, when Admiral [[Bernat de Sarrià]] of [[Polop]] awarded it a town charter as a way of removing the Moors and allowing Christians to inhabit the area. Strategically, the town was also used by Bernat de Sarrià to stop the rising power of Admiral [[Roger of Lauria]], lord of [[Altea]], in the south of the [[Kingdom of Valencia]].<ref>''Carta de Poblament de Benidorm'' (Benidorm Population Letter). R. Alemany, A. Couto, J. Hinojosa and M. Cabanes. 1987. Benidorm City Council</ref>

Benidorm's history for the next few centuries was plagued by attacks from the sea by [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] and [[Barbary corsairs|Barbary pirates]]. The 17th century saw conditions improve for Benidorm and its people, most notably with the construction of an advanced irrigation system in 1666 to channel water to the region. By the 18th century Benidorm fishermen had become famous and sought after all over Spain and beyond. [[Tuna]] was their main catch and they perfected the ancient [[almadraba]] technique dating from Islamic times. The success of the fishing industry, together with improved local agriculture, helped to fuel a strong local economy. Coastal traffic increased too, bringing more wealth to the region with the town becoming a base for sea captains and the building of their vessels.

In 1952, Benidorm's fishing industry went into decline; this was a factor in encouraging the town council to approve many new development plans aimed at the tourist market.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}

In 2018, Benidorm became the first city to achieve the UNE178501 Smart Tourism certification, Its "Benidorm, Destino Turístico Inteligente y Sostenible" plan (2015–2020) focuses on integrating technology for sustainable tourism, including energy efficiency improvements, data-driven management, and citizen participation. The city also established a Smart Destination Living Lab to align its strategies with the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). <ref>{{Cite journal |last=Aguirre |first=Alexander |last2=Zayas |first2=Antonio |last3=Gómez-Carmona |first3=Diego |last4=López Sánchez |first4=José Antonio |date=2022-01-01 |title=Smart tourism destinations really make sustainable cities: Benidorm as a case study |url=https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ijtc-01-2022-0006/full/html |journal=International Journal of Tourism Cities |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=51–69 |doi=10.1108/IJTC-01-2022-0006 |issn=2056-5607|hdl=10498/27669 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Benidorm - 2025 European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism - European Commission |url=https://smart-tourism-capital.ec.europa.eu/benidorm-2025-european-green-pioneer-smart-tourism_en |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=smart-tourism-capital.ec.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref>