Costa's hotels on track to end the year on a record high

Hotels along the Costa del Sol are on track to ending the year on a higher note than 2019, the most successful year for tourism in Malaga province's history.

October saw an average occupancy rate of almost 84%, with November and December expected to exceed 2019 figures, according to Costa del Sol hoteliers association (Aehcos).

"The October figures show an increase of more than two percentage points compared to last year. Of this percentage, 70% of the tourists who visited the province were international, while 30% were Spanish," the organisation said.

An average occupancy rate of 57.6% is expected for the month of November, but that could increase if there is a sudden burst of last-minute bookings. December is on track to record 48.2%, with that figure also subject to change as airlines increase their offering of seats to Malaga for the final month of the year.

Despite this, José Luque, president of Aehcos, pointed out the sector's concern about a reducing domestic market due to the rising cost of living in Spain. "We are concerned about the drop in demand in the domestic market in 2023 caused by inflation, which is already having a considerable impact, as well as the Ukraine-Russia wars and the recent conflict in the Middle East, which are having an impact on the global economy," he added.