September hotel occupancy forecast across Malaga province looking strong

The Costa del Sol and wider province of Malaga start September with expectations on a par with July and August. Professionals in the sector have confirmed the strong pace of bookings and point out that the tourists coming this month typically spend more. Families with children, who are going back to school, are giving way to the arrival of couples and groups of friends.

Hoteliers' occupancy forecasts suggest that they will fill 84.6% of their rooms this September; last September 87.1% were booked. The President of the Association of Hoteliers Association of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos), José Luque said this slight drop is due to "the reduction in demand from national tourists that we have been noticing since May”.

But the strong growth in supply is causing the destination to welcome more travellers and increase its overnight stays and as there are more hotel this is not impacting the average occupancy rate. In July, data from Spain's INE national statistics institute, showed a period of record stays although occupancy fell to 81%. For August, hoteliers saw an occupancy rate of 83.4% compared to 88% reached last year.

The new tourist profile for September is reflected in a greater demand for inland destinations. Antequera's increase is striking. In July its occupancy rate was 22%, in August it rose to 35% and in September it is due to rise to 65%. Occupancy in the Axarquía region is also rising sharply, from 65.4% in August to 96.8% in September. Fuengirola is the most sought-after destination in Malaga province with a forecast occupancy rate of 90.5%, according to Aehcos. Fernando García, President of the La Garganta group, says that they expect to fill 85% of their accommodation, while in August they had an occupancy rate of 78%.

The Hotel Situation Report of the regional Junta's Ministry of Tourism highlights that hotels in Malaga province will have the highest occupancy rate in Andalucía, with a forecast that is eleven per cent higher than the average for the region.

The president of the Association of Campsite Businessmen of the Costa del Sol, Emilio Domingo, said that August has closed with a 95% occupancy rate and for the current month they expect 85% of their bungalows to be filled at weekends, while the rest of the week until the first fortnight of September they will be at 70%.

Travel agencies are also expecting a "magnificent September", according to Sergio García, the head of the Costa del Sol's travel agency association. He said that "the desire to travel and enjoy life still prevails. Holidays are considered a necessity". The destinations to which the people of Malaga will travel range from the Balearic and Canary Islands to tours of Egypt and Turkey, as well as European capitals.

The best indicator of the strength of demand this September is the commitment made by the airlines, which have programmed 1,251,768 seats to fly to Malaga Airport, a figure that is 21% above that of the same period last year.