More than 4,500 Britons are registered in Estepona, making up 6% of its population.

The mayor, José María García Urbano, received this Monday at the City Hall the ambassador of the United Kingdom in Spain, Alex Ellis. This visit served to strengthen cooperation ties and highlight the significant connection between the United Kingdom and Estepona, both at the tourist and residential levels. During the meeting, topics of common interest such as the integration of the British community in the city, the positive impact of British tourism on the local economy, and opportunities for cultural and social collaboration were discussed.

The mayor pointed out that "one in five tourists staying in Estepona hotels is British. Specifically, 20.31% of our total hotel visitors come from the United Kingdom." In this regard, he emphasized the importance of this market for the local tourism sector. "This reflects the strong connection that exists between our municipality and the United Kingdom, both in the touristic and social spheres," he added.

Currently, a total of 4,529 British citizens are registered in Estepona, which represents approximately 6% of the total population of the municipality. This is an active and integrated community, regularly participating in local associations such as AREME (which groups all foreign associations in the municipality), AGE CONCERN, the International Club of Estepona (ICE), the American Club of Estepona (ACE) - whose 90% of members are British -, the Club Charity and Pleasure (CAP) or entities dedicated to animal protection such as ADANA and AGYA, where the majority of volunteers are also of British nationality.

For his part, the ambassador, Alex Ellis, highlighted the value of this community as a bridge between both countries and appreciated the hospitality and welcome of the municipality towards the British citizens residing there.

Main source market

In the tourism sector, the United Kingdom continues to be the main source market of visitors to the Costa del Sol. In 2024, 2.83 million Britons arrived at Malaga airport, which represents 22.9% of the total passengers. This figure represents an increase of 6.5% compared to 2023. The main airports of origin for these travelers are London (40.4%), Manchester (10.7%), Bristol (7%), Birmingham (6.3%), and Glasgow (5.4%).

After the institutional reception, the ambassador met with representatives of British associations in Estepona. The visit of Alex Ellis reinforces the international positioning of Estepona as an open, modern, sustainable, and welcoming city, where cultural diversity enriches coexistence and local development. In this line, the mayor announced that the City Council will continue to promote initiatives aimed at foreign residents, which encourage the full integration of our international neighbors.