Costa del Sol hotels forecast a lower occupancy rate in August although three holiday hotspots will still exceed 90%

Costa del Sol and Malaga province hoteliers are expecting a weaker August in terms of occupancy rates compared to the same month last year. This has been revealed by a survey carried out by the local association of hoteliers of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos), according to which 88.3% of rooms will be occupied this year - almost 4.5% less than in 2024.

On a more positive note, there is "a slight upturn" in domestic tourism, which has been experiencing a decline since last year. The forecast is that this category will go from 30% to 40% of Spanish tourists. The remaining 60% will be foreigners.

The favourite destinations for tourists along the Costa del Sol are Benalmádena, Torremolinos and Fuengirola, where hotel establishments expect to fill 92.6%, 92.2% and 91.3% of their rooms, respectively. Occupancy rates above 87% are expected in Marbella and Benahavís.

Another positive observation is that the initial forecasts for July have been exceeded and occupancy rates have ultimately reached 87.8%, which is 1.16% higher than in July 2024. "July's results slightly exceed those predicted at the beginning of the month, although it is worth focusing on the decrease in the average gross impact per customer compared to a year ago, which has fallen by more than 40 euros per person," said Aehcos president José Luque. He also warned that hoteliers must remain "alert" as this drop combines with the expected decrease in August and the overall decline in demand from the domestic market.

The forecast for September does not allow for much more optimism. Aehcos predicts a further decline compared to September 2024 - from 88.74% to 86.96%. "Only Benalmádena and Torremolinos will exceed 90% occupancy," followed by Malaga.