Malaga will land at the ITB in Berlin to conquer the "perfect tourist" for the city

Málaga will debut at the International Tourism Trade Fair (ITB), which will take place in Berlin from March 3 to 5, with the aim of attracting the "perfect tourist" for the city. This was announced by the city’s Tourism Councilor, Jacobo Florido, during the presentation of the promotional deployment at what is considered the largest fair in the sector worldwide. Among the goals set, he assured that "the commitment is to strengthen and enhance the perception of Málaga as a high-value, safe, and high-quality destination, thus attracting a greater number of German visitors."

The city will repeat its presence at this fair with its own 25 square meter booth in Hall 2.1 of Messe Berlin, alongside other Spanish destinations. More than half of the space will be dedicated to the exhibition area and the rest to the business area, where they will hold meetings with professionals on a tight schedule along with four co-exhibiting companies. "The booth, open on three sides, will be dynamic, multifunctional, and will align with the city's corporate identity, providing an accessible environment for both professionals and the general public," he detailed.

At this booth, they plan to hold about twenty scheduled meetings, including meetings with travel agencies and tour operators, OTAs (online travel agencies), B2B wholesalers, meta-search engines, travel portals, Spanish Tourism Offices abroad, and medium and long-haul airlines, as well as with agents specialized in different segments, such as cultural tourism, luxury, gastronomy, and premium and high-value-added tourism. "The aim is to promote the new features of the city's tourist offer and increase the influx of international tourists to the city," he pointed out, focusing on the fact that Málaga will showcase in Berlin that the German market is booming in the city.

27%

is the increase in German travelers who stayed in city hotels last year.

The data provided indicates that 2025 ended with Germany as the second international country in both travelers and overnight stays in the capital, only surpassed by the United Kingdom. Florido explained that the hotels registered 101,977 travelers, a 27% increase compared to the previous year, and 231,360 overnight stays, an 11% increase from the previous year. These tourists had a higher average stay than the overall, at 2.27 days. "April and October were the months with the highest volume of German visitors, with approximately 12,000 and 13,000 travelers respectively, followed by the 11,000 visitors in May and September. As in 2024, October was again the strongest month in terms of overnight stays, with 26,700 hotel nights, demonstrating a clear deseasonalization of demand, far from the traditional sun and beach tourism concentrated in July and August," he explained.

Jacobo Florido has emphasized the importance of German tourism for the city. "This traveler is the perfect tourist for Málaga. It is a market that not only grows in the number of visitors but also in overnight stays. In fact, in several months, being the third market in the number of tourists, it becomes the second in stays, which reflects its higher average stay and its value for the destination. Overall, the German market consolidates as the second both in the volume of visitors and in nights booked, confirming its strategic role for Málaga," he specified.

He also referred to the delay in the implementation of high-speed rail in Málaga, which postpones its operation until March 23. Florido responded to the statements of the Government delegate, Javier Salas, who downplayed the 45-minute delays and suggested that "perhaps he should explain this to the huge number of entrepreneurs and small businesses that live off tourism and who do suffer directly from these situations. Because when working with the public, when depending on schedules, connections, and customers, 45 minutes do matter, it's not just 45 minutes, it's more delay and he knows it but likes to trivialize. Sometimes it seems that those who make these statements have never had to lift a shutter or assume the payment of a payroll."