Higher prices and temperatures deter national tourists from holidaying on Costa del Sol in peak summer months

July and August have always been the main months for ourism in Malaga, but this seems to be changing. The high prices and temperatures that the Costa del Sol and province experiences during the peak summer season have started to deter Spanish tourists, who are choosing to come at less crowded and cheaper times of the year.

After analysing data published in the Costa del Sol tourism's hotel situation report, the employers' association Aehcos puts the change down to people not just seeing the Costa del Sol as a summer destination. They recognise that more and more tourists, mainly those from other parts of Spain, are choosing to travel during the months of June or September.

In July hotels registered almost 6% fewer holidaymakers and 3% fewer stays due to the drop in Spanish tourists, who reduced their bookings in these establishments by 10%; while in August hotel occupancy fell by 3.3% compared to the same period last year due to a 7.2% drop in arrivals of national tourists.

The Costa del Sol hotel owners' association believes that these figures represent people who prefer to travel at other times of the year "when the destination is not so crowded and the offers are more affordable". It is worth remembering, and also according to data from the previous report, that the average price of a room in August in the province was 188 euros, 4.1% more than last year.

Despite this, they add that this situation has not caught them by surprise and that it has been happening since March. Moreover, they add another variable to the equation: remote working, which has meant that Spaniards do not have to stick to the traditional periods for a getaway.

They also believe that the heat is a factor. According to the conclusions of the latest BBVA research report on the impact of climate change on Spanish tourism, tourists are increasingly opting for destinations that are more comfortable in terms of temperature. "This could be a cause, although we do not think it is a determining factor at the moment", they point out.

At the moment this change in trend seems to affect mainly Spanish tourists, as international tourists were already choosing other less crowded and cooler months to spend their holidays in the province.

Although this is an obvious change in trend, it is not a cause for concern for the employers' association, since "the important thing is that tourists keep coming". For the moment, they point out, this is a one-off situation and it will be necessary to analyse whether it continues to occur in the future. "We will have a clear picture of all this at the end of the year, when we will see how many hotels close and for how long".

Although the occupancy figures for September have not yet been finalised, sources in the sector are optimistic about the number of visitors, with increases that could exceed six percent compared to the same period last year.

Miguel Sánchez, owner of MS Hotels (a chain with five hotel establishments), has also noticed a change in habits among Spanish tourists. "We have detected that the number of tourists has been the same but the holidays have been shorter".

This hotel professional considers that the holiday model has changed in Spain because before, people used to travel in summer or Easter and now it is spread throughout the year, "which is not a bad thing" he says. Sánchez adds, "We have been fighting for many years for the deseasonalisation and little by little we are achieving it".

In this sense, he adds that both September and October will be good months. "We're going to have great occupancy due to the number of Europeans," he says.

The Soho Boutique Hoteles chain (a chain with eight establishments in Malaga) has also noticed this change and say that in September they have more bookings than in other years and they also mention guests taking advantage of cheaper deals. "September is a very good option because there are fewer people and it is not so hot that it prevents you from going places".

And one last example: Aída Espildora, manager of two hotels in the Soho area, says that September's bookings were practically sold out before August's. "Although in August we were full, it took a lot longer because many people arrived almost at the last minute."