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The Costa del Sol can now accommodate more than 450,000 tourists a day

The Costa del Sol can now accommodate more than 450,000 tourists a day

Despite the crisis caused by the pandemic, there are now a record 50,000 places in which to stay

Friday, 4 March 2022, 12:10

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The Costa del Sol has been flexing its muscles during this pandemic. For the first time, it can accommodate up to 450,000 tourists, and in the two years of its worst crisis it has managed to reach the record figure of 50,000 places in which to stay. The figures show how much confidence there is in this destination, despite the crisis caused by Covid-19.

Between 2019, which was a record year in terms of visitor numbers and income from tourism, and last December, the number of beds for tourists on the Costa del Sol has risen by 50,000, despite the unprecedented paralysis in 2020 and the start of the recovery last year. New projects on the cards also indicate that this growth is expected to continue, despite the uncertainty caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It was at the end of 2019 that the province became capable of accommodng 400,000 tourists, mainly due to the increase in the number of holiday homes after these became regulated in 2016.

Since then, and because of the pandemic, some of these properties have gone back to long-term letting because of the lack of tourists but that is now beginning to change, according to data from the Junta de Andalucía and the National Institute of Statistics.

The increase in holiday rental properties before the pandemic marked a deep transformation in tourist accommodation on the Costa del Sol, and demand was so high that hotels were still able to maintain their usual occupancy rates.

In fact, in 2019 there were more visitors and more overnight stays than ever before, so this alternative type of accommodation appears to have been beneficial for the destination. Figures from December 2021 show that there were 450,091 beds available, of which 232,885 were in holiday homes.

The increased demand for places to stay in the countryside, with outdoor space and fewer people around, meant that rural accommodation added nearly 4,000 beds in the past two years, up from 29,057 in 2019 to 32,966.

Despite this, the number of beds available on the coast increased more than in properties inland. The Costa del Sol Tourist Board says there were 401,342 beds for visitors on the coast, which was 6.5 per cent more than the year before, and that was also the first time the number of beds passed the 400,000 barrier.

In rural villages, there were 48,739 beds available at the end of last year, which is 5.2 per cent more than in the previous year. There were similar increases, in both cases, in 2020, even though tourism was almost at a standstill because of the strict restrictions on mobility which were imposed to try to slow down coronavirus infections.

Quality tourism

The different administrations and the tourism sector are keen to attract better quality travellers, who spend more money in the destination and enjoy trying new experiences during their say, and accommodation on the Costa del Sol is fully in tune with this strategy: nearly 70 per cent of hotel beds are in four or five -star establishments.

Along the same lines, the president of the Association of Tourism Properties of Andalucía (AVVA), Carlos Pérez-Lanzac, says the pandemic has caused a sifting of the supply and the quality of the service on offer in self-catering properties has substantially improved.

"In general, tourism properties have become more professional now and Malaga is top of the list in Andalucía in terms of numbers, with 43,336 properties out of the 75,731 there are in the region" he says.

Factors

The president of Turismo Costa del Sol, Francisco Salado, has also considered the effect of holiday rental properties on the figures, but he says they are not the only factor behind this growth.

"There is no doubt that they have had an important effect, but the truth is that our climate and everything we have to offer also attract tourists," he says.

He also points out that Malaga province has created an ecosystem of innovation to respond to the needs of many international companies that have relocated to the Costa del Sol because of the numerous advantages it offers.

"Something else which is important is that the city has become an ideal place for people who want to work from home," he says.

Salado also says that the Costa del Sol is not only known for its culture, especially in Malaga city with its museums, but also for unique attractions such as the Caminito del Rey, which is mainly visited by tourists from other countries, and the Coastal Path, an ambitious project of which 120 kilometres are already in use and which is progressing well.

The Costa del Sol is also a strong destination compared with the rest of Andalucía and figures from the Junta back that up. Malaga province has 25 per cent of the hotels in the region, and 34 per cent of beds for visitors. It is also famous for its five-star and grand luxury establishments. Malaga province has 29 per cent of all the five star hotels in Andalucía and 31 per cent of beds in this category.

In addition, when it comes to hotels which are classified as Grand Luxury, the Costa del Sol is home to 62 per cent of these in the region, and has 78 per cent of the beds.

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