How will the war in Ukraine affect tourism on the Costa del Sol?
Malaga is a favourite destination for wealthy Russians, many of whom have a second home in the province. Aeroflot currently operates four flights a week between Moscow and the coast
The best travelling companions are safety and certainty, and those are both looking doubtful now, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The tourism sector on the Costa del Sol is worried about how much the war will affect the forthcoming season. The president of the Costa del Sol tourist board, Francisco Salado, says the picture at the moment is not looking good, because the uncertainty and insecurity may well make people change their travel plans.
Another element is the immediate increase in the cost of air fares and package holidays because the oil price has reached historic records.
The Costa del Sol is a favourite destination for Russian tourists, who for the past two years have been unable to travel much because of the Covid-19 restrictions. The Russian airline Aeroflot currently operates four flights a week between Moscow and Malaga, on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The president of the Association of Travel Agencies in Malaga, Sergio García, says some of these flights could be cancelled due to low bookings, but for the moment the company has not indicated any changes to its programmed flights. Many wealthy Russians have large mansions in Marbella and Estepona and live in them for part of the year.
So far the European Union has not banned Russians from flying into EU airports, although the British government has prohibited Russian aircraft from entering British airspace or landing in the UK.
With regard to Ukraine, there are no direct flights from Malaga, and connections have been suspended because the country has closed its air space.
Francisco Salado says the greatest impact will be on the number of Russian tourists; last year 14,000 came to Malaga, of whom 9,000 stayed in hotels. “The war will have a direct effect on this,” he says, and warns that the global impact of the conflict will also reduce spending ability in general and that will also affect travel.
The State Air Security Agency (Aesa) has told Spanish airlines not to enter Ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia or Russia air space because of the risk to civilian aircraft “because it is an area of active conflict and there is a lack of civilian air traffic coordination”. This will also have a direct effect on tourism.
