Rincón de la Victoria's tourism development plan moves forward

To address the four challenges, the document sets out 47 strategic objectives, broken down into 67 actions, aimed at improving Rincón de la Victoria’s positioning, reducing seasonality, strengthening the destination’s identity and encouraging visitor arrivals during the low season.

Furthermore, it includes an analysis of the municipality’s capacity to accommodate tourists and identifies various sources of funding that will facilitate the implementation of the planned measures.

The councillor for tourism, Antonio José Martín, highlighted the participatory nature of the process of drawing up the plan, which was carried out by the University of Malaga (UMA) and the Andalusian institute for research and innovation in tourism (IATUR), as well as the involvement of business leaders, associations, industry professionals and municipal experts. “This document is the result of a participatory and technical process that will enable us to continue positioning Rincón de la Victoria as one of the leading destinations on the eastern Costa del Sol,” he said.

The mayor of Rincón de la Victoria, Francisco Salado, said that the plan “provides the municipality with a modern planning tool, agreed upon by all and adapted to new trends in the tourism market, enabling us to move towards a model of balanced, sustainable growth that creates opportunities throughout the year”.

The mayor pointed out that tourism is one of the municipality’s main economic drivers and highlighted the need to plan its development with a long-term vision. “Tourism generates jobs, opportunities and business for our shops, our hospitality sector and our services. It is precisely because of this importance that it requires planning, strategy and a long-term vision.”

The new strategy aims to diversify the tourism offering by showcasing the town's historical and natural heritage, promoting cultural, sporting and gastronomic tourism, and capitalising on the opportunities offered by digitalisation and tourism intelligence.

“Well-planned tourism not only benefits those who visit us; it also improves the quality of life for our residents, helps to provide better public spaces and services, and boosts the local economy all year round,” added Salado.

Antonio Peláez, a researcher at the IATUR and Dean of the Faculty of Tourism at the UMA, explained that the document was drawn up using a methodology structured in three phases: diagnosis, strategic planning, and the establishment of evaluation and monitoring mechanisms.

According to Peláez, the analysis carried out highlights that Rincón de la Victoria has significant strengths as a tourist destination thanks to its archaeological and natural heritage, with attractions such as the Cueva del Tesoro and the Cueva de la Victoria, the surroundings of the El Cantal Cliffs, its extensive cultural and sporting programme, the quality of its beaches, and its reputation as a safe, family-friendly destination.

“We are looking at a smart tourist destination with significant potential for further growth through specialisation and diversification of its offering,” he said.

He also explained that the current tourism landscape requires adaptation to new market demands by promoting emerging segments such as senior tourism, experiential tourism, gastronomic tourism, blue tourism and tourism linked to nature and stargazing, as well as strengthening data-driven decision-making and advancing the destination’s digital transformation.

“The plan’s mission is to establish a distinctive tourism identity in a sustainable, balanced and innovative way that respects local residents,” he said.

The project began in late 2025 with the aim of drawing up the municipality’s tourism plan up to 2030. This new plan was approved at a full council meeting on 31 July.

One of the principles underpinning the document is a commitment to growth based on quality rather than quantity. In this regard, Peláez emphasised that “the central idea is to consolidate the high season and boost growth during the low season by attracting tourist segments that offer greater added value for the destination”.

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