Pilar has a degree in Journalism from the Complutense University in Malaga. She joined SUR in 1991 after working for TVE, Granada 2000, Diario 16 and Expansión. She has been the SUR specialist Tourism journalist for more than ten years.
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Inland tourism in Malaga province has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic with the loss of 648 million euros in revenue in 2020 - a drop of around 69 per cent on the previous year - according to the provincial government. The Diputacíon's pre
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Malaga. A provisional date has been set for British holidaymakers to travel abroad again. As part of the UK government's roadmap out of lockdown, on Monday prime minister Boris Johnson announced 17 May as the day when leisure travel could resume. The
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In the midst of a worldwide tourism crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic the Barceló Hotel Group has announced several exciting new projects to expand their presence on the Costa del Sol. Raúl González, the company's CEO for Europe, the Middle Ea
National
The fifth most important airline flying passengers to Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport, has said that customer bookings soared by 600 per cent in one night after the UK prime minister Boris Johnson outlined his road map for easing coronavirus restriction
National
The vice-president of the Junta de Andalucía and Minister of Tourism, Juan Marín, has called on Spain's central government to liaise with all the autonomous regions to establish a plan to guarantee safe national mobility during the Holy Week at Easte
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An examination of Andalusian tourism after a year of the pandemic shows a sector on artifical ventilation which needs a drastic rescue plan to survive. Among other reasons, because behind every statistic there is a story, a company and a large number
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The fifth largest airline flying to Spain's Costa del Sol, Jet2.com, will not resume its operations until at least 15 April. The company had announced last October that it was suspending flights until 10 February, but has once again extended the da
National
Some of the world's largest airlines intend to implement a 'health passport' next month in an effort to revive the aviation sector and get passengers travelling again - and to do so safely. The Travel Pass is an International Air Transport Associat
Local
Malaga Airport will be one of a group of Spanish airports to have a coronavirus testing area established in its departure lounge. The airports' operator, Aena, hopes that the initiative will benefit outgoing passengers who need proof of a negative
National
The head of Spain's Tourist Office in the UK has told an online conference for the Spanish travel trade that he is confident that British tourists will return to the country again soon. Javier Piñanes predicted that "with the right conditions, ther
National
With an eye on the reactivation of the economy as a whole, Spain's tourism industry has asked to be one of the priority sectors in the vaccination process to revive activity and do so by generating confidence and providing security for the traveller.
National
There is concern in Spain's tourism sector that it could face another catastrophic season unless a group's proposals to 'save summer' are taken on board by the authorities. A group of tourism professionals, including members of the Spanish Associat
Local
The worldwide coronavirus pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions have taken their toll on Malaga-Costa del Sol airport which closed 2020 with 74 per cent fewer passengers, according to data from Spain's national airport operator Aena. Just ove
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Andalucía has kicked off 2021 with a new campaign to reinforce its position as a safe destination to travel. A free medical insurance policy with Covid-19 coverage for non-resident international tourists is being offered to entice visitors back to
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The tourism crash crisis caused by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic has led to estimated losses of 10.3 billion euros across the Malaga province, according to a Costa del Sol Tourism report. It is reckoned that the number of tourists lost in 2020
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Costa del Sol hotel owners are seeking European funds to fight their way out of the Covid-19 crisis and have presented their bold ideas for five new projects. The initiative includes plans for smart hotels, an energy efficiency experience centre, a
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While Spain and the EU decide on measures to stop the spread of the new super-contagious strain of Covid-19, fourteen flights from the United Kingdom are scheduled to arrive at Malaga-Costa del Sol airport. The first one was due to arrive from Bris
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Normally British tourists are a fundamental pillar of tourism on the Costa del Sol and account for 30 per cent of passengers arriving at the Malaga-Costa del Sol airport and a similar proportion of hotel reservations. But since coronavirus travel r
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Spanish airport operator Aena has confirmed that the restrictions on international air travel have had a massive impact on the number of passengers passing through the Malaga-Costa del Sol airport. November saw just 157, 089 passengers pass through
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Turismo Costa del Sol this week launched a pioneering multi-platform advertising campaign to show that irresponsible individual behaviour during the pandemic is taking its toll on the reputation of the destination. One specific case of the infamous
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The local tourism industry this week went on a charm offensive at a special World Travel Market went virtual. The annual travel fair, which ordinarily takes place in London, ran from Monday to Wednesday this week, with the Costa del Sol tourism aut
National
From 23 November, the Spanish government will require all people arriving by air or sea from high-risk countries to demonstrate that they have completed a negative Covid-19 PCR test in the 72 hours prior to their entry into the country. This includes
Local
The Costa del Sol tourism industry hopes that the restrictions introduced on Wednesday by Andalusian president Juanma Moreno will come with an aid package for businesses. The president of the Costa del Sol hoteliers association (Aehcos), Luis Callejó
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Malaga and Valencia will from 1 December be connected by a new air route operated by budget airline Ryanair. The low-cost operator has included the route as part of its new strategy to strengthen national connections following pandemic restrictions o
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The airline Jet2.com has suspended flights to Malaga until February next year, the British-run company has announced. The low-cost operator, which is the fifth largest at the Costa del Sol airport in terms of passenger volume, with 964,123 passenge
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British low-cost airline EasyJet announced on Thursday that it had chosen Malaga to open its second operations base in Spain, which would lead to the creation of around a hundred new jobs next spring. The airline is currently the third biggest at M
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The regional government on Thursday launched its 'tourist discount' up to 50 per cent off breaks within Andalucía for local residents. Households with an income less than 20,000 euros get the full 50 per cent discount off breaks around the region,
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A total of 26 cultural spaces in Malaga city will offer free entry on Sunday 27 September to mark World Tourism Day. Museums and galleries including the Picasso museum and birth house, the Pompidou and Russian museums have signed up to the initiati
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In the wake of hotels being forced to close early this season due to a lack of demand, investment funds have started to turn their attention to the Costa del Sol, looking to buy hotel properties in distress. It heralds a potential shift in emphasis i
National
The airline that moves the most passengers at Malaga Airport, Ryanair, has modified its flight schedule for October, reducing its capacity by an extra 20 per cent. The flights previously planned for next month were already 20 per cent down on last
Opinion
When a hotel opens, the area around it is almost spontaneously revitalised. Likewise, when one closes, even for a few months, it has a devastating effect on local shops, bars and restaurants. That's why the spine-chilling forecast that 80 per cent of
Local
The first half of September has seen a massive closure of hotels on the Costa del Sol, with no one daring to suggest a reopening date. The area's tourism industry has been hit from all sides during the pandemic: demand for hotel accommodation plum
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The pandemic has burst the holiday rental bubble that had been forming at great speed before the crisis. A report published by the Andalusian association of tourist accommodation (AVVA) states that as many as 4,000 properties registered as tourist ac
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Turkish Airlines has started up its flights again from Malaga Airport following their suspension at the onset of the Covid-19 crisis. These are the only flights currently coming into the airport from outside Europe. From 1 August, Turkish is op
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August is going to be even quieter than July was, say hoteliers on the Costa del Sol. Last month there was 40 per cent average occupancy, and they expect the average for the peak summer season to be 39.9 per cent at the very most. They attribute t
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The WTID app will be ready to use by mid-August Malaga will be the first city to have full coverage on the new WTID app, which makes it easier and safer for people to identify themselves on holiday. Pololikashvili said he had written to the Brit
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The WTID app project, backed by the World Tourism Organisation and the result of three years' work, is expected to be available this month. It is the first app which enables travellers to carry their passport, ID, health documents, tourism service
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Wednesday marked the busiest day so far in terms of hotels and other tourist accommodation on the Costa del Sol reopening. Around a dozen welcomed visitors again, but data shows that there are barely 60 currently in operation. In Malaga city, the
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July may be the traditional start to the tourist high season on the Costa del Sol, but this year there is nothing normal about it. Having been in complete paralysis for more than three months, the sector's survival hangs in the balance. Foreign touri
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After three months of next to no activity, bosses at Malaga Airport this week reopened Terminal 3 (the newest wing) as the number of flights into and out of the Costa del Sol reached 123 on Wednesday. This figure is triple that of the daily figures
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As the Costa's hotels start reopening, the latest report from Turismo Costa del Sol shows that for the week 9 to 15 June, flight bookings to Malaga increased by 62 per cent compared to the previous week, coinciding with the government's announcement
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The Higuerón Hotel Málaga Curio Collection by Hilton, in Fuengirola, has become the first hotel in Andalucía to be given five stars under the new hotel classification system. The hotel has risen category after obtaining 943 points during the inspec
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Now that Andalucía has entered Phase 3 of the easing of the state of alarm restrictions, the regional government is keen to attract travellers again and has chosen internationally famous actor Antonio Banderas, who is from Malaga, as the face of its
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A new method of classifying hotel categories through a points system, which will include five-star and top luxury establishments, has recently been approved by decree by the regional government. Juan Marín, vice-president of the Junta and minister
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At the height of the coronavirus crisis but with confidence in the product and the destination, the Higuerón Hotel Málaga Curio Collection by Hilton will reopen on 26 June with a new tower containing 113 premium suites which complete an improvement a
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Tourism has started to wake up at varied points along the Costa del Sol. In Malaga, El Gran Hotel Miramar, luxury flagship in the city, has said that it will open its doors again on 1 June. The property, part of the Santos chain, will open with limit
National
Malaga airport's most important airline, Ryanair, has announced that it will resume flying to the Costa del Sol on 1 July. The company has confirmed that it will start with 40 per cent of its flights and will focus on maintaining a wide diversity o
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There was outrage from Costa del Sol tourist-industry leaders on Thursday over a reported political deal on the Canary Islands to extend furloughing rights there. The national government had to fight for support from other parties to renew its stat
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In order to "scale back the pessimism" within the sector, the president of Turismo Costa del Sol, Francisco Salado, on Wednesday outlined the plan to revivify the local tourism sector. The Diputación chief recognised that the pandemic is having a "
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There is no data about the number of claims yet, but travel agents say there are thousands. Many countries banned flights from Spain and numerous airlines have opted to ground their planes, even as far ahead as June, because so few people are travell
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Some 25 per cent of hotels in Malaga province won't reopen as a result of the coronavirus crisis. This is the view of the president of the Costa del Sol Hoteliers' Association (Aehcos), Luis Callejón Suñé. Costa del Sol launches video in Eng
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While the Costa del Sol's resorts and hotels sit empty during the coronavirus lockdown, the area's tourist board, Turismo Costa del Sol, is reassuring the industry that visitors will soon be back.. A video has been launched, first in Spanish and no
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While the Costa del Sol's resorts and hotels sit empty during the coronavirus lockdown, the area's tourist board, Turismo Costa del Sol, is reassuring the industry that visitors will soon be back. A video has been launched, first in Spanish and now
Local
Putting the clocks forward normally signals the start of the high tourist season on the Costa del Sol. However, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Malaga Airport was almost completely deserted on Monday, with just six flights coming in and four goin
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Some hotel managers were visibly upset when we talked to them about the departure of their last clients earlier this week, after the government ordered them to close by 26 March because of the coronavirus. Their stories about these last travellers
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Hotels are closing down in Spain because of the coronavirus crisis, and some are helping those in need by donating the food they will no longer need to charities and the authorities. The Parador chain of hotels has given eight tonnes of food to he
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Ryanair, the leading airline at Malaga Airport, has announced that it will temporarily cease operating from next Tuesday, 24 March. Since Wednesday, the operator has reduced services to 80 per cent and has been focusing on getting passengers back t
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Practically all hotels on the Costa del Sol are expected to close by the end of this week - an action that will have massive repercussions for the local tourism industry. As a direct result, some 12,000 people are set to become unemployed in the area
Local
One plane stood out from the rest on the ground at Malaga Airport on Tuesday morning. The airline Norwegian sent in the biggest plane of its fleet, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, in a bid to carry as many tourists from the Costa del Sol back to Norway in
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From now until the end of the week, employers and trade unions are considering closing practically all hotels on the Costa del Sol. As a result, some 12,000 people will become unemployed. This is the first major consequence of the coronavirus crisis
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Long queues formed at Malaga Airport on Sunday as tourists cut short their holidays to escape the lockdown imposed by the Spanish government to fight the coronavirus crisis. Notices informed guests of the ban on leaving the premises as well as the
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Budget airline Ryanair has confirmed that 25 per cent of its flights to Italy have been cancelled between 17 March and 8 April because of the coronavirus outbreak. The airline, which connects the Costa del Sol with Milan, Rome and Naples, has acted
Local
The airline Sun d'Or (owned by El Al) will have four flights a week to travel to Tel Aviv between the months of May and October. Malaga debuted its first direct flight to Tel Aviv back in 2017. Recent news about Air Europa's direct flights to Tel
Opinion
The Wuhan coronavirus crisis has become more than just a health issue and is the first spanner to affect the works of the tourism sector this year. The situation goes to show just how sensitive this industry is, when good forecasts can collapse whe
Local
The alarm raised over the spread of the coronavirus by the World Health Organization has also caused concern among the tourism sector on the Costa del Sol as airlines stop flying to Europe from China. The head of the Andalusian travel agents' asso
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Qatar Airways announced on Wednesday that it would be running a daily service between Malaga Airport and Doha (Qatar) throughout the months of July and August. The route, which will be run by a B777 aircraft between 24 May and 28 September, will bo
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This summer, airline Etihad Airways will touch down in Malaga for the first time after announcing a new service this week that will connect the capital of the Costa del Sol with the UAE. In order to "satisfy the enormous demand from the Gulf States
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Malaga Airport is expected to close the year with a record-breaking figure of nearly 20 million passengers. Statistics show that in the first 11 months of this year, 18.7 million passengers used the airport, which was an increase of 4.5 per cent c
Local
The Costa del Sol has lost its only direct daily flight to the United States after eleven years. Delta Air Lines, that has operated a flight once a day in high season to New York, says it won't be flying from Malaga Airport next year. There was
National
The largest online platform for matching owners of holiday motorhomes with potential renters has set its sights on growing in Spain. Camplify, which was started in Australia and also operates in the UK, is to spend 1.2 million euros entering the Span
Local
Malaga Airport made history in September; for the first time in its one hundred years of operation, the two-million-passenger mark was surpassed during this month. According to airports operator Aena, these figures are a result of the dynamism of bot
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The World Travel Market (WTM) in London has always been important for Andalusian tourism and this year's event, which takes place from 4 to 8 November, will be especially so. The tourism sector in Andalucía knows that this WTM will be a type of litmu
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Dubai-based global airline, Emirates, will be in Malaga on 14 October looking for new cabin crew. The recruitment drive will be organised around an open day at the city's NH hotel. People interested in participating can register online at the Emi
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While there are few immediate consequences for the Costa del Sol, the collapse of Thomas Cook, an operator which brings seven million visitors to Spain every year, is nonetheless a concern for the tourism industry. "This is really bad news," said F
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The UK government is making arrangements to repatriate thousands of holidaymakers trapped in Spain following the collapse of holiday giant Thomas Cook early on Monday morning. The company, which brings seven million visitors to Spain every year, we
Local
A cruise line specialising in the Spanish-speaking market is returning to the port of Malaga. Pullmantur will be basing its cruise ship Horizon in the city for a series of departures this autumn. Five cruises will set sail between 20 October and 21 N
National
A global report published every two years by the World Economic Forum has once again placed Spain at the top of the list of the most competitive travel destinations. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 ranks economies and measures th
Local
Campsites in Andalucía have asked the Junta regional government to lift a ban on stays longer than six months. The Andalusian campsite federation says that the ban goes against the Junta's stated aim of reducing the seasonality of regional tourism
Local
Speaking at the busiest time of year for plane activity, the new director of Malaga Airport has been explaining more about his plans. At a working breakfast with journalists last week, just a month into the job, Pedro Bendala announced that the fo
Local
Boosting employment and improving quality in the tourism sector is a priority for the Junta de Andalucía, says Juan Marín, the vice-president of the regional government and minister for Tourism, Justice and Local Administration. He has just announ
Local
The look of surprise on the faces of a group of foreigners, already seated at their table, when a plate of sardine skewers, a jug of 'tinto de verano' and some prawns were delivered, prompted some explanation. These were complimentary, they were told
Local
Nearly two million passengers used Malaga airport during May, latest official figures reveal, taking the running total for the year up to 7.1 million after five months. related story An end in sight to second runway's TV obstacle at Malaga air
Local
The Costa del Sol's airport continues its strong start to the year. In the period January to April, compared to last year, there were 7.3 per cent more passengers arriving or departing. Data from Aena, the airport operator, says that 5.2 million p
Local
The Club Med group, which will open a new five-star resort in Marbella in March 2020, has announced that the process to recruit 300 new staff members is now open. "The company is offering a chance to work in a multicultural environment where kindne
Local
The reopening of the iconic Hotel Byblos in Mijas Golf moved one step closer last week as the sale of the property to an as-yet unnamed international investment group was confirmed. related news Azora completes purchase of Pez Espada and Riviera
Local
The head of the Costa del Sol tourist board, Francisco Salado, said last week that Malaga province had had its best winter season ever. Data published by Turismo Costa del Sol shows that 2.8 million passengers arrived at the airport between Novemb
Local
Three municipalities are home to 25 per cent of all rural holiday accommodation in Malaga province, according to a report on sustainable tourism which was released by the Costa del Sol Tourist Board this week. Frigiliana heads the list, followed b
Local
For those who love luxury, the port in Malaga city was a joy to behold on Saturday. In fact, it was a day to remember, not just because an unusual number of cruise liners were visiting at the same time, bringing a wave of passengers into the city cen
Local
Holy Week in Andalucía is becoming even more popular with tourists. The regional government's Ministry of Tourism, Regeneration, Justice and Local Administration announced this week that the Easter visitors are estimated to have spent 352 million eur
Local
Cruise line Royal Caribbean chose Malaga this week to unveil its first ship dedicated to the lucrative Asian market. Spectrum of the Seas will be based in Shanghai and recently left a German shipbuilders for the long journey to China. The cruise line
Local
A study released by a Costa del Sol planning body has reported that 20 per cent of jobs in Malaga province, including the Costa del Sol, are in tourism. The percentage is a long way above the national average of 13.7 per cent and the Andalusian regio
Local
The first all-inclusive luxury hotel complex in Spain created by Greek chain Ikos is starting to take shape. Works have got under way to transform the current Hotel Princess in Estepona into a beachfront complex with 411 rooms and 11 swimming pools
Local
Cruise company, Royal Caribbean, has chosen Malaga as the first stop for its new liner, Spectrum of the Seas, which will dock in the city's port on 16 April straight from German shipbuilders, Meyer Werft. The company is promoting this latest addition
Local
Cruiseliner Norwegian Spirit, which welcomes guests with a multi-million-euro Versace rug, left the Port of Malaga on Tuesday after 13 trips of ten days each since November, moving some 26,000 passengers. Now the ship, with capacity for 2,200 pass
Local
The winter is over and the Costa del Sol is, in the most part, ready for the next influx of visitors for the high season. The majority of hotels which close during the winter have already reopened while the remainder will do so over the next week; th
Local
The peak season for cruises is beginning at Malaga Port, and from 20 March to 30 June, 113 ships are expected to visit the capital city of the Costa del Sol, carrying 180,000 passengers, according to figures from Malaga port. Here, the arrival of spr
Local
The EU-wide flight ban on the Max 8 model of the Boeing 737 has seen one aircraft, belonging to Norwegian, grounded indefinitely at Malaga Airport. The plane, which arrived on Tuesday from Oslo, was expected to take to the skies an hour later but has
Local
The fourth biggest airline in terms of movements at Malaga Airport, Norwegian, has announced that it is stepping up its links to and from the Costa del Sol this summer. A total of 1.45 million seats are available on flights between Malaga Airport a
Local
Turkish Airlines, the only operator connecting Malaga with Asia all year round, has announced that it will increase seat numbers on its flights to Istanbul by 30 per cent, with two flights a day. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways flights from the Costa del
Opinion
If the horizon for the tourism industry wasn't cloudy enough, the snap general election called for 28 April, combined with the municipal and European ballots on 26 May, create a scenario of uncertainty. In fact you could say that it goes beyond uncer
Local
British airline Easyjet has announced a new route between Malaga and Porto (Portugal) for this summer season. From 1 April flights will operate four times a week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. With this new addition Easyjet fli
Local
Connections from the Costa del Sol to the Middle East are set to get even better this summer. Gulf Air, which flies from its hub in Bahrain, has announced that it will operate into Malaga from 14 June to 15 September. The new route is in addition
Local
Travellers from Malaga this summer will once again have a direct route to New York City after Delta Airlines announced that their Malaga-JFK route would be returning. The daily flights, which leave from the Costa del Sol at 8.15am, will run from 24
Local
Budget airline Ryanair has announced another new route from Malaga Airport. As from April, there will be two flights a week between the Costa del Sol and Tetouan in northern Morocco. This is the latest new route offered by the Irish company after
Local
A new Costa del Sol, with a renewed tourist offering, was presented to tourism operators and other industry professionals at a special dinner at the Palacio Duques de Pastrana on Wednesday night. Those in attendance were shown how the area had deve
Local
Despite the chaos of protests and taxi strikes outside, the Madrid Tourism Fair, known as Fitur, got under way on Wednesday morning with more stands and more countries represented than ever before. King Felipe and Queen Letizia opened the 39th edit
Local
MAlaga. Passenger figures at Malaga Airport broke the 19-million barrier in 2018 for the first time, despite the slump in growth in international tourism on the Costa del Sol. The total grew by 2.1% to 19,021,704 travellers, according to figures from
Local
Andalucía will be at the Fitur tourism fair in Madrid next week with more space than ever for local business owners. The acting regional Tourism minister, Francisco Javier Fernández, said last week that his department had made an "extraordinary" ef
National
Language tourism is looking pretty healthy in the capital city of the Costa del Sol. The president of the Association of Spanish Schools in Malaga (Nacem), José María Casero, said this week that between eight and ten per cent more language students a
Local
A survey has shown that there are eight per cent more seats available on flights programmed to and from Malaga airport up to May this year, compared to a year ago. The analysis by Turismo Costa del Sol, the local tourism authority, says that from
National
An urgent reform to the law was approved last week to make it easier for residents in communities of flats or houses to block their neighbours from renting out their homes over platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com. Up to now, the 'comunidad' of ow
Local
Finishing touches are being made to the transformation of three neighbouring hotels in Torremolinos owned by the same group into one unified complex. The well-known Don Pablo, Don Pedro and Don Marco hotels, in the Playamar area, will now be marke
Local
Data published on Wednesday said that, compared to 2017, 8 per cent more people passed through last month, reaching 1.1 million monthly passengers. Passengers to and from Spain grew 10.2 per cent and international users by 7.7 per cent.
Local
The head of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), run by the United Nations, was in Malaga on Tuesday to address local business leaders and politicians at a forum organised by SUR. Manuel Butler has recently taken over at the WTO, which is based in
Local
Flights to Tel Aviv will resume for the high season after the success of the route which debuted this year. From March to October, two flights a week will connect the Costa del Sol with the biggest city in Israel. The route will be operated by the
Local
The airport in Malaga is preparing for further growth and Terminal 2, which was built in 1991, is to be completely renovated so that its design matches that of the most modern area, Terminal 3. The Aena airports authority is planning to invest nea
National
Andalucía expects to reach the figure of 30 million tourists in 2018, despite the drop in British visitors to the region. The figure was announced by regional president, Susana Díaz, at the opening day of the World Travel Market in London. The fair
Local
The regional minister for Tourism, Francisco Javier Fernández, said at a SUR event on Monday that action must be taken to deal with the recent evidence of a fall in British tourist figures in Andalucía. This year's decrease in holidaymakers visitin
Local
The airport which serves the Costa del Sol is expecting to be extra busy this winter, because from now until the end of March the airlines are offering a total of 7.1 million seats to fly here. THE FIGURES 43,000 103 16 This is 15 per cent more th
Local
According to statistics released this week by Spain's national statistics office, Andalucía beat previous years' records in terms of visitor numbers this summer, while the Costa del Sol saw a decline in the number of visitors this September compared
Local
Last week, the giant of vacation rentals, Airbnb, announced that only tourist homes in Andalucía that comply with the regulations of the region and have a valid registration number are able to be featured on the site. This process has meant that the
Local
The USO and Sitcpla trade unions, together with representatives from Portugal, Italy, Holland, Belgium and Germany, have said that Ryanair cabin crews are considering calling further strikes before Christmas. First the trade unions will meet with rep
Local
October marks the start of the peak season for cruise ships in Malaga and this month alone 58 ships are expected to visit the port, with a total capacity of 106,000 passengers. Each ship is expected to be around 80 per cent booked, which means tha
Local
The Andalusian minister for Tourism, Francisco Javier Fernández, has announced a plan of action in response to the figures released last month that showed a slump in tourism in July. Statistics from Malaga airport reveal an even greater fall of 2.5
Local
The Jet2.com airline and its tour operating arm are looking for 125 new staff members to help boost its local team as it grows. In total 900 jobs are being offered across Spain. On the Costa del Sol specifically there are jobs in land operations
Local
As the summer comes to a close and industry analysts draw their conclusions from the latest tourism statistics, it has become clear that the record-breaking figures of 2017 were exceptional and difficult to equal. The July figures published by the
Opinion
We've reached the point where we can stop using the word 'record' in every headline. The minus sign has appeared in front of the most important tourism statistics on the Costa del Sol at the height of summer, after three consecutive years of record-b
Local
Four hundred Ryanair flights to and from Spain are to be cancelled this Wednesday, 25 July, and Thursday, 26 July due to strikes from cabin crew. A total 24 of these were scheduled to take off or land at Malaga airport. Flight cancellations and de
Local
Ryanair announced on Wednesday that it had emailed and texted passengers on 400 flights to and from Spain that will be cancelled next Wednesday, 25 July, and Thursday, 26 July. Airline cabin crews' unions in Belgium, Portugal and Spain are to strik
Local
The central government in Madrid has turned its attention this week to the problem of the uncontrolled growth in the amount of privately rented tourist accommodation. Prime minister Pedro Sánchez said on Tuesday that wording would be modified to ex
Local
Strikes set to affect Ryanair passengers across four countries look set to go ahead after the airline rejected the demands of cabin crew during mediation talks on Tuesday. The cabin crew, represented in Spain by the USO and Sitcpla unions, are call
Local
Bosses at Malaga Airport have just finished the tendering process to refresh the selection of bars and restaurants for passengers. Coming in later this year is new sushi restaurant Kirei By Kabuki, by chef Ricardo Sanz, and Bibo Brioche Bar by local
Local
Holiday rental platform Spain-Holiday, based in Malaga, has removed 275 rental properties within the region that were not on the Andalusian Tourism Register from its database. "Ever since the regulations for tourist properties came in in 2016, Spai
Local
The new government has appointed the first ever female official government representative for the province of Malaga. María Gámez formerly led the PSOE opposition on Malaga city council and stood for mayor in 2011 and 2015. She took a break from poli
Local
The hotel group Barceló will be opening up in Fuengirola in late 2019. The new hotel, which will require an investment of 15 million euros, will be developed from the existing Hotel Las Pirámides site, next to the promenade. It will operate under the
Local
All arrivals and departures at self-catering accommodation booked though websites will automatically be passed to Hacienda, the Spanish tax office, from this month. Operators of the booking platforms will have to tell the government how much money
Local
A new campaign to promote the Costa del Sol's traditional beach restaurants, known as chriringuitos, kicks off with the celebration of the 1st Chiringuito Day on Wednesday 27 June. The initiative was announced on Monday by the president of the Asso
Local
Using a photo of Ronda's famous gorge, a luxury travel operator has included the Costa del Sol area in its new cruise brochure. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has recently been launched and Malaga features as one the Mediterranean ports to be used
Local
The busiest time of year for travel is about to start and this is when flight cancellations and delays are more likely. When this happens, people are usually entitled to make a claim against the airline but many fail to do so because they are going o
Local
The tourism sector in Malaga breathed a huge sigh of relief when agreement was reached in the early hours of Tuesday morning which meant that there would not, after all, be a strike by hotel staff and bar and restaurant workers during the peak summer
Local
The Andalusian Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the so-called 'Las Kellys' (a collective made up of hotel cleaning staff), obliging the hotel sector to apply the 'convenio' (collective workers' agreement) for the hotel sector to staff carrying ou
Local
One hundred thousand new tickets for the Caminito del Rey gorgeside walkway in El Chorro went on sale on Monday for the period June-October. According to the attraction's director, Francisco Campano: "Our forecasts are very positive. We expect to b
Local
Malaga airport overtook Palma de Mallorca to become the third busiest in Spain last month. 1.3 million passengers travelled through the airport in March, which coincided with Holy Week, an 8 per cent increase on the previous month. The airport rec
Opinion
The friendly greeting from the receptionist when you first arrive at a hotel and the smile from the waiter who serves you in the cafeteria or on the terrace are of vital importance. However it's just as fundamental, or even more so, for the room to b
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Saudi Arabia's national airline, Saudia Airlines, is due to launch new connections between Malaga and the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and with the tourist city of Jeddah. The routes will start operating on 9 and 11 June respectively. The president of t
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It was Holy Tuesday, and the people of Malaga walked in procession towards the Levante wharf in the port. This was not an Easter procession, however. They were doing so to take part in a unique event which would become part of the port's history: the
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Malaga is preparing to welcome the latest sea giant, the cruise ship Symphony of the Seas. The latest addition to Royal Caribbean's fleet, with a capacity of over 6,700 passengers, will be in the city on Tuesday for its international presentation.
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The Costa del Sol has seen an increase in Russian tourists by 11.3 per cent in the last year. Figures from the Costa's tourist board have shown that around 90,000 people from Russia visited the Costa del Sol last year. Russian visitors are particul
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Aena, the national airport operator, will shortly start investing 6.2 million euros in renovating Terminal 2 of Malaga Airport. The terminal is the older building, where Ryanair and Easyjet check-in desks are located. The contract have been awarde
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From now on, people wanting to rent a tourist apartment or house in Malaga city will be able to check online first to see if the accommodation is officially registered with the Andalusian regional government and therefore complies with the law. Mal
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Just like any other birthday celebration, there was cake on offer for the tourists flying with Jet2.com airline when it celebrated its 15th anniversary at Malaga airport on Monday. To mark this important anniversary Steve Heapy, the CEO of the airlin
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The international tourism fair, Fitur, taking place this week in Madrid, has seen more landmark figures for visitors to Spain announced. Regional president Susana Díaz opened the Andalucía section, the largest at the exhibition, with good news. As
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The Costa del Sol is moving up the ranking of profitable tourist destinations for hoteliers. According to a study by Exceltur, while the Costa del Sol in general is in the top 20, Marbella is second in the country after Ibiza in terms of RevPar (reve
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The opening of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London on Monday was met with plenty of enthusiasm, a strong indicator that the British market remains very active - a positive sign for tourism to Andalucía. President of regional government, Susana
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November marks the end of the summer season, although this year there were high hotel occupancy levels right up to the end of October and some hotels which had planned to close in the middle of the month decided to remain open a bit longer. A tota
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Major turbulence is jeopardising the low-cost airline business. Not only are thousands of passengers affected, but it is causing new concerns in the tourism sector in Malaga province. Consumer associations say people should always make an official
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Delta's promises to run the year-round direct flight between Malaga and New York in 2018 have been broken as the airline announced that the flight will only run in the summer. In its transatlantic flight schedule for 2018, the airline revealed tha
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The PP group in the regional parliament is calling for the Junta de Andalucía to set up a network of inland villages in order to provide support and training and to help them take advantage of the possible opportunities from increased tourist numbers
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The airport which serves the Costa del Sol has not been affected by the latest flight cancellations announced by Ryanair, although more passengers travelling to and from Malaga use that airline than any other. The cancellations will be from October
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The unstoppable growth of holiday rentals in the region has now seen numbers surpass those of hotels in both Malaga city and Marbella. Figures show that tourism properties, which have been regulated since 2016, have more than doubled in the past 15
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The Junta de Andalucía has issued a plea for more help from central government to stop the wave of claims against hoteliers by British holidaymakers for supposed illness while in Spain. Regional tourism minister, Francisco Javier Fernández, called
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Hoteliers are starting to get tough on the wave of British tourists suing over reported holiday illnesses. The organised claims from UK law firms have been affecting many areas of Spain and souring relations between the country and its most important
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The first direct flight from Malaga to Tel Aviv was launched on Sunday night, operated by the Israeli company El Al. Jets of water, which came from the Guadalhorce and Jordan rivers were released by fire engines to celebrate the inaugural flight.
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When passengers go to catch their flight at Malaga airport, there's no way for them to escape the duty-free shopping these days as the route from security control snakes past rows of glittering shelving. However, for the 16.6 million people that pass
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The seven duty free businesses at Malaga airport, which currently occupy over 3,200 square metres of space, are due to be refurbished this year to adapt them to new trends, with new fittings and the introduction of new brands. 2 million drinks are
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The traditional Toblerone or classic bag of sweets never seem to go out of fashion. Sources at the airport calculate that about one million of these are sold every year. 1.5 million sandwiches and snacks are sold each year in the 7,000 square metre
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An increasing number of passengers are buying products from Malaga these days. The most popular is local wine, with about 60,000 bottles a year being sold. There are plans to expand the range of products from Malaga in the future.
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By units, vodka is sold most at Malaga airport, although by sector the top seller is perfume. In terms of drinks, gin is the second most popular. 15,000 products are on sale in the duty free shops at Malaga airport, with perfume being the most pop
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It is now nearly ten months since new regulations were introduced to ensure that properties which are used as holiday accommodation are registered with the Andalusian tourism authorities, and fears that this would have a negative effect on the sector
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The Meliá hotel group will take over the running of the Atalaya Park Hotel, located between Estepona and Marbella, from next year. The group will invest 18 million euros in refitting the building and will operate the hotel under its Sol by Meliá br
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The cruise ship Freedom of the Seas, one of the giants in the fleet of cruise-operators Royal Caribbean, was in Malaga on Thursday after crossing the Atlantic and reaching the Mediterranean for the first time. The ship, which has space for 4,300 pa
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From May 2018, it will be possible to fly directly from Malaga airport to the Qatari capital, Doha, according to an announcement at this week's Arabian Travel Market. The Costa del Sol airport is one of nine new additions to Qatar Airways' extensi
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The Association of Costa del Sol hotels (Aehcos) revealed on Monday that Holy Week and Easter weekend saw a record number of tourists visit the coast for this time of year, which they believe bodes well for the summer period. The attraction of Mal
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The group of falcons at Malaga airport, used to keep other birds from interfering in the takeoff and landing of planes, is gearing up for high season. Birds on or near the runway or approach routes can pose a risk to flights. The falcons were just
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The group of falcons at Malaga airport, used to keep other birds from interfering in the takeoff and landing of planes, is gearing up for high season. Birds on or near the runway or approach routes can pose a risk to flights. The falcons were just
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Seatrade Cruise Med, the most important cruise-industry trade fair in the Mediterranean and nearby area, will be held in Malaga in 2020. Bosses from major world shipping companies, representatives of ports and delegates from component industries wi
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The low-cost Irish airline, Ryanair, has announced that it will offer 50 routes from Malaga for next winter, including several new destinations. This increase will see the company operating the largest ever number of routes during the low tourist s
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Low-cost airline, Norwegian, will start three new routes from Malaga airport next month as well as increasing their onboard capacity by just over 20 per cent for the summer period, adding nearly 230,000 extra seats for passengers in total. The airl
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Until this week, anyone planning a trip to the Caminito del Rey, the famous daredevil walkway in El Chorro, has not been able to book a slot for any later than 31 May. However, it is now possible to purchase tickets for June through to September from
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Flight schedules are always a good way of measuring tourism prospects for the Costa del Sol, and 2017 looks like being another record year as the airlines which operate to and from Malaga have put 15.5 million seats on sale for flights from now until
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Representatives from eight tourist towns on Spain's Costas, including Torremolinos, and the Canary Islands met in Madrid this week to form an alliance of tourism-based municipalities. They hope that by joining forces they will carry more weight, for
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Kuwaiti chain Costa del Sol Hotels has opened a new boutique hotel in Torremolinos which caters for the Arab market. The establishment, just three hundred metres from the beach, has 36 rooms. Named Costa del Sol Torremolinos Boutique Hotel, this is
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Tourism companies and professionals from Andalucía have been showcasing the region's qualities as a tourist destination at the 51st edition of the world's leading tourism trade fair, ITB, in Berlin. The president of Andalucía Susana Díaz was also p
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Government statistics have shown that there were 15 per cent more foreign tourists in Andalucía in January compared to the same month last year. Of the Spanish regions that receive the most international visitors, Andalucía saw the biggest increas
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A hundred tourism officials and representatives of hotel and travel companies from Andalucía will travel to Berlin next week for the ITB fair. The huge event is recognised as the most important in the world for the volume of business generated for th
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Passengers wanting to travel between the Costa del Sol and the UK this year will find more options available as the total number of seats available is to increase by 15%. "In total there are around 3.5 million seats on flights to the Costa del Sol,
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Despite already boasting numerous direct flights around the globe, Turismo Costa del Sol is striving to reach out to destinations to which there are no direct flights. One such destination is Israel. From May, the airline company Sund'or, subsidiar
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The President of the Junta de Andalucía, Susana Díaz, officially opened the huge Andalucía stand at the Fitur travel show in Madrid on Wednesday amid official forecasts that 2017 is set to be another record year for tourism in southern Spain. Touri
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The President of the Junta de Andalucía, Susana Díaz, officially opened the huge Andalucía stand at the Fitur travel show in Madrid on Wednesday amid official forecasts that 2017 is set to be another record year for tourism in southern Spain. Touri
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A year to remember: 2016 was a record year for Malaga airport, with an extra two million passengers compared with 2015, bringing the total to 16.6 million. Figures issued this week by the Aena airports authority showed a growth of 15.7 per cent, almo
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The statistics regarding activity at Malaga airport are the best way of gauging how tourism is evolving, and that in turn is a sign of the state of health of the province's principal industry. The busy month of October, when the number of passengers
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The latest edition to Malaga's burgeoning hotel scene is getting close to opening its doors. The Gran Hotel Miramar is nearing the end of a two-year restoration and is expected to see its first guests staying overnight from the second half of next mo
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A study by one of the leading names in the travel industry has painted a rosy picture of the future of the luxury tourism market. The report was carried out for Madrid-based Amadeus, the world's largest travel agents' reservation system. Accordi