Marbella bets on Germany to boost a market it considers strategic

Marbella is making a strong commitment to the German market to boost the arrival of travelers from a country the destination considers "strategic" due to their long stays, travel throughout the year, and higher spending capacity. The Director General of Tourism of the Marbella City Council, Laura de Arce, states that annually, 30,000 travelers from Germany stay in the hotels of this city, but the number has stagnated in recent years and the challenge is to start a growth path in Germany with a renewed and diverse offer.

However, the Persian Gulf conflict may hinder this purpose. De Arce expresses her concern about the impact this new scenario will have on an industry "so sensitive". She warns that it is difficult to predict how far the consequences will reach or if there will be any. Meanwhile, she does express her fear that it will directly affect key markets for the Marbella destination, such as tourists from the Persian Gulf, who have this municipality as their favorite place in Andalusia. In this regard, she points out that in previous crises the effect has been the opposite of what was expected, resulting in a massive influx of Arab tourists seeking refuge in Marbella and changing their format of summer vacations to longer stays. "No one knows what can happen, but these circumstances may turn into an opportunity," she declares.

To this concern, De Arce adds the railway crisis triggered since the end of January with the tragic accident in Adamuz, followed by a landslide in Álora that has cut off high-speed service to Málaga, at least until the next 23rd. "Easter is approaching without guarantees that the AVE will function and during these first holidays of the year 99% of the tourists are Spanish," she warns, adding that "perhaps many have already considered choosing other destinations."