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Malaga council admits that some services in the old part of the city are overstretched. SUR
Unsustainable tourist 'saturation' is finally acknowledged by Malaga city hall
Tourism

Unsustainable tourist 'saturation' is finally acknowledged by Malaga city hall

The council is preparing a plan to promote seven alternative routes for visitors to explore the city so as to avoid overcrowding in the old quarter

Monday, 27 January 2025, 16:24

Malaga city council has set itself the challenge of easing the congestion in the old quarter of the city centre as a tourist destination by means of a plan to promote alternative routes around the city that will direct visitors to other points of interest in the capital of the Costa del Sol. To this end, it has put out to tender a contract valued at 530,210 euros for a communication and information dissemination plan for these routes that, for the first time, admits that the old city centre district has reached a level of tourist saturation that is unsustainable.

"In recent years, Malaga has positioned itself as a leading light for Andalusian tourism, and this has led to saturation of the historic part of the city centre, which could exceed the capacity of the services", acknowledged city hall in the specification document for the contract. The council further states that the characteristics of cultural tourism in the provincial capital have led to "undesirable aspects, such as excessive concentration in the small space of the historic centre, where most of the museum provision is located."

"Malaga is experiencing unprecedented levels of tourist saturation, particularly in its historic centre. This phenomenon causes certain areas to exceed their carrying capacity, negatively affecting both residents and visitors. Mass tourism can lead to a proliferation of low-quality gastronomic establishments, deteriorating the culinary experience for tourists and locals alike. In addition, high tourist influx in limited areas leads to congestion and overuse of public spaces, diminishing the quality of life for residents and the experience for visitors. Tourist pressure can drive out indigenous and value-added businesses and replace them with souvenir shops and other tourist-oriented businesses. The increase in tourists drives the emergence of illegal or low-quality accommodation, affecting both the safety of visitors and the image of the city," said the council in its report to justify the project.

Alternative routes

In order to "redirect" tourist flows from the most saturated areas to other areas of the city with "tourist potential", the Tourism department within Malaga council has designed seven routes through the following areas: La Malagueta, Soho, Pedregalejo, Tabacalera, a tour of the mountains and nature areas surrounding the city, another through the vestiges of industrial heritage and lastly one through the historic districts such as Perchel and Trinidad.

"This approach will allow the discovery of new areas, promoting areas with tourist appeal that have not yet been fully exploited, distributing the benefits of tourism more equitably. In addition, it will increase the added value of tourism in Malaga by offering unique routes and experiences that highlight the cultural, historical and natural wealth of the city and its surroundings," as stated in the terms and conditions of the contract that has been put out to tender.

The company that implements this plan for the decongestion of tourism in the city centre has to create a brand and a communication plan, involving the creation of a website, content on social media, audiovisual pieces to upload to YouTube and a programme of tourist ambassadors and actions with influencers among other measures that will have to provide results. This needs to work well - as the council puts it: "without an adequate communication strategy, efforts to redistribute tourist flows and promote new areas could be ineffective, perpetuating the current problems of saturation and its associated negative impacts."

One of the challenges of this plan is that it has to be developed before 30 April 2026, as it is financed with European funds from the Next Generation programme, which obliges the governing bodies in receipt of such funding to justify the expenses within a certain period of time. Companies interested in developing this tourism shake-up and redistribution plan have until 21 February to submit their bids.

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surinenglish Unsustainable tourist 'saturation' is finally acknowledged by Malaga city hall