Benalmádena records rising tourism figures for the month of March

According to the latest municipal tourism bulletin for March 2026, Benalmádena continues to consolidate its position as one of the most competitive tourist destinations on the Costa del Sol.

The municipality currently has 61,453 tourist places, representing a year-on-year increase of 0.44%, with 270 more places compared to the same period last year.

In the hotel sector, March closed with 55,759 visitors and 279,989 hotel overnight stays, with increases of 2% and 1.7% respectively. Hotel occupancy in March reached 78.3%, while the average length of stay stood at 5.02 days.

For the year-to-date first quarter, Benalmádena recorded 122,968 hotel visitors and 638,221 overnight stays, with an average stay of 5.25 days and an average occupancy rate of 73.3%.

One of the most notable indicators is the municipality’s hotel competitiveness. Benalmádena reaches a room occupancy rate of 73.3% in the cumulative period from January to March 2026, significantly exceeding the Costa del Sol average (66.6%), the province of Malaga (63.9%), Andalucía (56.5%) and the national average (61.9%).

Hotel profitability indicators also show improvement. The ADR (average daily rate) stood at 87.37 euros in March.

By source markets, the United Kingdom continues to lead international tourist arrivals to the municipality, although the bulletin particularly highlights the excellent performance of the Polish market. Poland is consolidating itself as one of the most strategically important markets for Benalmádena within provincial tourism competitiveness. From January to March, the municipality recorded 12,462 visitors and 62,929 overnight stays in hotels and tourist apartments from this market.

“The growth and consolidation of the Polish market is excellent news for Benalmádena, as it confirms that international promotion actions are opening up new opportunities and strengthening the municipality’s presence in emerging European market,” tourism councillor Presi Aguilera said.

In tourist apartments, Benalmádena recorded 11,028 visitors and 54,716 overnight stays in March, reaching an occupancy rate of 70.1%. For the year so far, overnight stays in tourist apartments exceed 121,500.

The bulletin also highlights the importance of tourism in the local economy. The sector currently generates 7,877 workers registered with social security and supports 815 active tourism-related businesses in the municipality. By subsector, hospitality leads tourism employment with 3,741 registered workers, followed by accommodation with 2,274 employees.

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