Tourist data for the Costa del Sol and Malaga province shows some cause for concern

Although the figures for August have been good for some resorts, an Aehcos report claims the number of foreign tourists arriving at Malaga Airport during the month was less than expected

Tony Bryant

Friday, 2 September 2022, 09:30

According to the latest occupancy data provided by the Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos), the number of foreign tourists arriving at Malaga Airport in August was less than expected, making up just 50 per cent of the overall figure.

Aehcos said that the increase in costs, especially energy, have contributed to the decline of important markets for the Costa del Sol between January and September: these include the Germans (with a fall of 26.1 per cent), the French (15.9 per cent), the British (13.6 per cent) and the Irish (11.6 per cent.

Aechos said the data showed concerns about the profitability of the hospitality establishments in the province, which in most cases has “been very scarce” and is “a big problem for the sector today”.

Lack of UK tourists

However, despite strikes and delays at some of the main European airports, the report showed that Torremolinos has been the Malaga municipality with the highest hotel occupancy this August, with 93.76 per cent compared to an average of 88.08% in the rest of the province. Other municipalities such as Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Marbella, Mijas and Nerja have also exceeded 90 per cent occupancy in August, which, the report claims is better than in 2019..

One British bar owner in Benalmádena Costa told SUR in English that, although there are people in the resort, "the lack of tourists from the UK has been noticable".

"Although the beaches are are busy, there appears to be a lack of spending in the bars in this area," he said.

Top 50

Reporta un error en esta noticia