Málaga hotels record fewer tourists in August as domestic demand falls, although 2026 remains positive overall

August brought a slight slowdown in hotel activity across Málaga province after several months of growth. Hotels welcomed around 712,000 travellers during the main month of the summer season, while overnight stays reached approximately 2.8 million, according to the latest Hotel Occupancy Survey published by Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE).

Both indicators showed year-on-year declines of around 1%, with the fall mainly linked to weaker demand from travellers resident in Spain.

The picture changes, however, when looking at the year as a whole. Between January and August 2026, hotels in Málaga province accumulated around 4.3 million guests and 15.8 million overnight stays, meaning the overall trend for the year remains positive.

Domestic tourism weighs on August figures

The performance of the Spanish market was one of the main reasons behind the weaker August result.

This was not exclusive to Málaga. Across Spain as a whole, overnight stays by residents fell by 1.1% in August, while those by international visitors increased by 2.8%, according to the INE.

That difference once again highlights the importance of international tourism for destinations such as the Costa del Sol, particularly during the busiest months of the year.

The United Kingdom remains one of Spain’s leading source markets, accounting for 25.5% of overnight stays by international hotel guests in August, ahead of Germany with 14.5%.

Málaga exceeds 15 million hotel nights in eight months

Although August finished slightly below the same month last year, the cumulative figures tell a different story.

Between January and August, Málaga province recorded approximately 15.8 million hotel overnight stays and around 4.3 million travellers.

This means the year’s performance is not being driven solely by July and August. Stronger results during spring, the beginning of summer and other periods have helped offset the slight decline seen in the peak holiday month.

The same pattern can be seen nationally. During the first eight months of 2026, hotel overnight stays in Spain increased by 1.5% compared with the same period in 2025.

Fewer guests do not necessarily mean lower profitability

Traveller numbers alone do not tell the whole story for the hotel sector.

The latest INE figures show that hotel room revenues are continuing to rise. In August, the average daily rate (ADR) in Spain reached €166.90 per occupied room, up 7.3% year on year.

Revenue per available room (RevPAR) also increased by 7%, reaching €133.10.

There is also one particularly striking figure for the Costa del Sol: Estepona recorded the highest ADR and RevPAR among Spanish tourist destinations in August, with an average rate of €418 per occupied room and revenue of €359.40 per available room.

In other words, the slight fall in visitor volume in Málaga coincides with a market in which certain destinations are still achieving very high room rates and hotel revenues.

The Costa del Sol remains heavily supported by international tourism

The international market will be one of the key factors to watch over the coming months.

Málaga province has a strong dependence on foreign tourism, particularly in Costa del Sol destinations such as Marbella, Estepona, Mijas, Fuengirola, Benalmádena and Torremolinos.

Air connectivity, the concentration of four- and five-star hotels and the growing importance of residential tourism have also helped extend tourism activity beyond the core summer months.

For that reason, a slight fall in August does not necessarily point to a broader change in trend. The more important question will be how the third quarter closes and whether autumn activity maintains the growth seen during the first eight months of 2026.

A slightly weaker August within a still-positive year

The figures therefore show two different dynamics.

August was slightly weaker, with around 712,000 travellers and 2.8 million hotel nights, alongside softer domestic demand.

However, 2026 as a whole remains ahead of the previous year, with more than four million hotel guests and nearly 16 million overnight stays accumulated through August.

The rise in room rates and the strong performance of destinations such as Estepona also suggest that the sector is not focused only on increasing visitor numbers, but also on attracting higher-spending guests and increasing the value generated by each stay.

The original source for these figures is Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), which published the provisional results of the August 2026 Hotel Occupancy Survey on 22 September.

The full official data can be consulted in the INE Hotel Tourism Trends report for August 2026.