Marbella aims to attract more high-spending Chinese tourists

The Costa del Sol holiday resort will host the 25th World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) conference next year

María Albarral

Marbella

Tuesday, 12 November 2024, 16:58

Marbella will be looking to attract more Chinese tourists with high purchasing power when the Costa del Sol town hosts the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) conference in November next year.

Marbella mayor Ángeles Muñoz has received a delegation from Beijing in preparation for the organisation's 25th annual fair. "It is an international summit that for the first time will be hosted by a Spanish town and that will have a great impact, both for the economic activity that will be generated and for the profitability in terms of attracting visitors from different markets in the short and medium term," she said.

Muñoz pointed out the importance of the Chinese market for the town, where some 10,000 Chinese tourists travel to Andalucía every year with a high purchasing power and an average stay longer than other countries. Muñoz said this popularity could grow as Air China plans to offer three direct flights a week throughout the year between China and Malaga, Seville or Granada from the airports of Beijing and Shanghai.

More than a year in advance, the town is already preparing for the event. "This is a magnificent platform that will be a qualitative leap in terms of promotion and our obligation as an administration is to be at the highest level, which is why we have been holding meetings for more than a year to ensure that everything is perfectly planned and a success," Muñoz added. Meanwhile, WTFC director Bo Chen added that "Marbella is a fully consolidated destination in Europe".

Luxury tourist

The constant increase in the number of visitors and in the amount they spend during their stays in Spain, has led many tourism officials in various destinations to set their sights on the Asian giant.

The Chinese visitor tends to be a tourist with high purchasing power, with a penchant for luxury. Leading fashion and jewellery brands are some of the favourites of these customers, who often spend a considerable part of their travel budget on high-end items. This trend has led many shops in Spain's major cities to adapt their services, offering Mandarin language services and payment methods customary in China.

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