WTM 2026

Costa del Sol's tourist towns focus their efforts on the UK

The mayors of Torrox, Torremolinos, Nerja, Benalmádena, Fuengirola, Mijas and Rincón de la Victoria are in London to strengthen their presence at the WTM

Salado, in the centre, alongside mayors from municipalities in Malaga province at the WTM. (Salvador Salas)

Enviada especial. Londres

04/11/2026 Actualizado a las 10:08h.

The mayors of the Costa del Sol towns Torremolinos (Margarita del Cid), Torrox (Óscar Medina), Nerja (José Alberto Armijo), Benalmádena (Juan Antonio Lara), Fuengirola (Ana ... Mula), Mijas (Ana Carmen Mata) and Rincón de la Victoria (Francisco Salado) have travelled to London to take part in meetings and promotional activities as part of the WTM (World Travel Market), all with the same aim: to strengthen their position in the UK.

Joining them at the fair were tourism officials from Manilva, the president of the association of municipalities of the Costa del Sol-Axarquía, Jorge Martín, and Marbella's director of tourism, Laura Arce.

They have made clear the importance of British tourists, whom they believe feel "right at home" in each of these towns. The challenge is for the younger generations to maintain the "tradition" of returning to the Costa del Sol to enjoy the climate, the sunshine, the beaches and all the options these destinations have to offer.

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Aware that tourists are looking for more than just sun and beaches, the Costa del Sol authorities are working on new initiatives and experiences to keep attracting visitors from the UK. In the case of Torremolinos, British tourists account for 25 per cent of overnight stays across the entire province. Del Cid highlighted that this is a growing market, which in the first nine months of the year exceeded one million hotel stays in the town.

Medina announced an additional Torrox promotional campaign outside the Excel exhibition centre, in some of London's busiest locations, through the installation of 13 digital bus shelters displaying still images and promotional videos of Torrox. Images of Benalmádena have also made their way as far as Piccadilly Circus. British tourism in the town grew by almost 10% up to September.

Visits to Cueva del Tesoro

Authorities from Rincón de la Victoria highlighted the popularity of their main attractions among British tourists, which has led to an increase of almost eleven per cent in the number of visitors from the UK.

"This growth is particularly significant for the town's main tourist attraction. The Cueva del Tesoro, the only marine cave open to the public in Europe, welcomed 8,606 British visitors in the first ten months of the year, compared with 6,120 in the same period of 2025, representing an increase of 40.6 per cent," Salado said.

A tourist market that is growing at an even faster rate in Marbella. Arce pointed out that between January and September, accommodation providers recorded 116,164 tourists from the UK, 15.2 per cent more than in 2025. "This places the UK second in terms of the number of hotel guests, behind Spain, and accounts for 18.7 per cent of the total number of guests."

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