Fuengirola leaves behind seasonality and starts 2026 with a 26% increase in visitors and 800 more jobs

Tourism councillor José Luis Ponce said, "Fuengirola starts the year with positive figures, but the important thing is not only to grow, but to grow well." He added that the municipal tourism strategy is based on "quality over quantity, deseasonalisation, diversification of markets, job creation, collaboration with the sector and balance with the daily life of the residents".

According to the bulletin corresponding to March 2026, Fuengirola registered 47,271 hotel travellers during that month, which represents an increase of 26.4% compared to the same month of the previous year. There were also 200,712 overnight hotel stays, an increase of 18.5%. In the cumulative figure from January to March, the town reached 101,630 hotel travellers and 416,672 overnight stays. "These figures confirm that Fuengirola has made a strong start to the year. But we don’t want to focus solely on the headline that there are more tourists. What is really important is that these figures are produced in the first quarter of the year, outside the traditional summer months. This shows that Fuengirola is making progress in one of its main objectives: to be an active destination all 12 months of the year," Ponce said.

The bulletin also reflects an accumulated hotel occupancy rate of 63.6% between January and March 2026, a figure which, according to Ponce, "shows that Fuengirola is consolidating its capacity to attract visitors beyond the summer". Added to this is an improvement in RevPAR, the indicator that measures the average revenue per available room, which reached 46.89 euros in the first quarter, a rise of 8.5%.

One of the most outstanding aspects of the report is the impact of tourism on employment. In the first quarter of 2026, Fuengirola registered 9,064 affiliated workers in the tourism sector, compared to 8,235 in the first quarter of 2025. The number of tourism companies affiliated to the social security also increased, from 987 to 1,035.

"When we talk about tourism we are not talking about cold statistics. We talk about employment, businesses, shops, restaurants, hotels and families. Tourism makes sense when it leaves value in the town, when it generates opportunities and when it strengthens the local economy," Ponce explained. "Tourism is a fundamental industry for Fuengirola, but precisely for this reason, it has to be managed seriously, with data, planning and a vision for the future. It is not just a question of counting visitors, but of analysing what impact they have, how the activity is distributed throughout the year, which markets work best, which tourist products we should promote and how we can ensure that tourism is compatible with a comfortable, safe and well-cared-for town for its residents," he added.

In terms of outbound markets, the United Kingdom continues to be the main market in terms of hotel overnight stays, with 127,023 nights in the cumulative period from January to March, more than 30% of the total. Along with the British market, the domestic market, Finland, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Norway, France, Italy and Belgium also stand out.

Finally, the councillor highlighted the role of the local tourism sector. "These figures are also the merit of the hotels, restaurants, bars, agencies, shops, leisure companies, workers and freelancers who make Fuengirola work every day as a destination. The town hall has to accompany, promote, listen and generate the best possible conditions for the sector to continue creating wealth and employment," he concluded.