British tourists in Malaga spend more than the average for Spain
Speaking to SUR at the World Travel Market in London, city councillor Jacobo Florido confirmed that bookings made by visitors from the UK are growing at a double-digit rate
British tourists who visit the city of Malaga have a higher purchasing power than the average in other parts of Spain. This was announced by councillor for tourism Jacobo Florido on the first day of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London. Florido highlighted the 200 euros per person per day that UK visitors tend to spend in the Costa del Sol capital. The figure shoots up to 400 euros for British professionals who visit Malaga for an event or a conference. The average for British tourists in Spain, in turn, is 177 euros.
Florido highlighted the key role that Malaga plays in the national tourism industry, of which it holds a share of 10% of the total number of visitors. He stated that, for this reason, Malaga's objective at this year's WTM is to consolidate the profile of a tourist with a higher spending power.
Over the three days of the event, the Malaga delegation have scheduled around 30 meetings with 'premium' and luxury tour operators, airlines, event organisers, content creators and companies specialising in the fields of culture, language tourism and cruises.
Florido has also announced that they have planned meetings with other markets, such as the US, the Middle East, Asia and continental Europe. He specifically emphasised the importance of the US market, which, depending on the month, is the second or third most important for hoteliers, even though United Airlines withdrew its daily direct flight to New York.
Florido also said that there has been a strong upturn in Asian tourists, with a 75% increase in Chinese passengers and a strong increase in the number of Koreans thanks to the direct flight to Seoul.
On the first day of the event, 4 November, Malaga city council signed a general protocol of action with Exceltur (the alliance for excellence in tourism in Spain), with the intention of facilitating tourism cooperation between the two entities. The plan is for them to be able to exchange practices and experiences in the promotion of tourism, develop joint campaigns to support the economy and society, promote responsible, sustainable and tech-friendly tourism through innovations that respect the natural and social environments. The protocol will run for one year.
As other Andalusian representatives stated during the first day of the WTM, Florido believes that the British market will remain loyal to Malaga. To back this up, he offered data: 20% more British tourists from January to September this year compared to the same period in 2024 and an increase in overnight stays and their length by 9.7% and to 2.39 days, respectively.
