Arab luxury tourism arrives in Marbella

Arab tourism lands once again this summer in Marbella, drawn by the city's high-end service offerings, attracting visitors with high purchasing power who opt for luxury shopping and 5-star hotels.

On the eve of the peak months of the high season, merchants and hoteliers maintain expectations about these markets, although they fear that the global geopolitical uncertainty due to the conflict in the Middle East and the closure of airspaces might have an impact. This summer, Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport has 5 routes, according to Aena.

The arrival of these visitors has always been linked to the end of Ramadan, which this year was celebrated between February 28 and March 29, favoring the presence of young Arab tourists from the beginning of May, as highlighted by the Director of Tourism at the Marbella City Council, Laura de Arce, noting that they usually vacation in July and August.

The high temperatures in the Middle Eastern countries and the start of school holidays anticipate the arrival of high-income tourists to the Costa del Sol, where since June, “many families and for the past 3 or 4 years, groups of young people” have been seen. The main source markets are “Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar.”

The city's offering of 5-star hotels is an attraction for these visitors, and although the Arab market is “residual” compared to others like the British or national, traveling between May and September, the Director of Tourism has highlighted the importance it represents in the tourism activity, having “an incredible spending capacity” and being “a client who travels, spends, and consumes in high-income places like Puerto Banús.”

Marbella has been known for its cosmopolitanism since the 1980s, chosen by the Royal Houses as a vacation spot. Memories linger of those golden years with the arrival of the Saudi royalty with King Fahd and his entourage or his brother, the current King of Saudi Arabia, Salman Ibn Abdelaziz, walking through Plaza de los Naranjos. After a “recess,” De Arce highlighted that “now for about 8 or 10 years they have been returning to reside here and choose Marbella.”

The Director of Tourism has stated that Marbella remains a “top destination” for these markets, with the aim to “break the seasonality and have them come at other times,” ensuring that this year “there were Arabs at Christmas.” Thus, she emphasized that the city is “their first destination when they come on vacation,” followed by Madrid and Barcelona.

The municipal official has emphasized that the “quality of services” is one of the main attractions for these high-income visitors: “Marbella is their second home, a safe place with mild temperatures where they have fun, shopping, great hotels, and establishments where they enjoy and feel comfortable,” including the climate, gastronomy, or wellness. To attract them, the City Council develops several actions throughout the year, such as visiting the Arabian Travel Market or sports meetings.

5-star Hotels

The high-end offering of the city attracts this high-income client, who chooses 5-star hotels for their vacations. The Don Pepe Gran Meliá is a “benchmark” in hosting Arab tourists, for which the chain conducts annual “commercial actions,” according to its director, Noelia Castillo, who noted that in summer “it is our main market” and “represents the second nationality.” The most prominent source markets are those of Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

The conflict in the Middle East has affected bookings, which this year “we are a bit more cautious and see a bit of a diversion” compared to previous years, as “instability in the area has caused more restraint” and cancellation of reservations, following the closure of airspace in Middle Eastern countries, impacting the intention to travel.

Nevertheless, the establishment is hopeful that in the coming weeks there will be a “rebound” with last-minute bookings and extending the season until the second week of August, Castillo emphasized, after in recent days “they have started to pick up again and are making reservation requests” from customers from Arab markets, with the forecast to reach between 25% and 30% as they are “replanning the trip to Marbella with a few weeks' delay.”

Arab tourism is concentrated in the months of July and August.

The 5-star hosts Arab tourism related to “royal families who travel from the second week of July to August or women with children,” who book “superior rooms or suites, several or entire floors," with a stay ranging from a week to 10 days, and for whom the Don Pepe adapts its hospitality to the culture of these countries, with a halal menu in its restaurant.