The hotels on the Costa del Sol will be during the Pilar bridge as in the middle of August

Hotels on the Costa del Sol will be as busy as in the peak of August during this Pilar Bridge holiday. The Hotel Business Association of the province (Aehcos) reports an average occupancy rate of 90.4% during these early autumn holiday days. This figure surpasses the 2023 records by 1.5%, the last time it coincided with the weekend, extending the holiday period to four days. The association recalls that Monday the 13th will also be a holiday in Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Castilla y León, Extremadura, and the autonomous city of Melilla.

José Luque, president of Aehcos, explains that "the Pilar Bridge seems to predict a noteworthy occupancy rate, although in the analysis, three nights have been counted when in 2023 the bridge was longer, by one night. It should be noted that last year, the holiday fell on a Saturday, so there was no extended bridge, and we cannot compare the figures. However, looking back at 2023, it seems that we will exceed those figures even though this bridge is shorter than that year's."

In any case, the data confirm the strength of demand beyond summer and show that it is still international tourism that drives these historic records. Aehcos points out that of the total guests from October 10 to 13, the percentage of foreign travelers is expected to be 78%, compared to the remaining 22% of national tourists.

Málaga, Sevilla, and Córdoba lead the tourist occupancy in Andalusia during the October 12th bridge

While the average occupancy is high, there are destinations with peak reservations during these days, filling 96.2% of their capacity, such as Benalmádena. Ronda also stands out with an occupancy rate of 93%.

In the tourist homes of the province for this Friday, a nearly full occupancy of 98% is anticipated, dropping to 94% on Saturday and 86% on Sunday, according to data from the Association of Tourist Homes of Andalusia (AVVA-Pro).

Occupancy in Andalusia

Málaga, Sevilla, and Córdoba lead the tourist occupancy in Andalusia. The forecast report prepared by the Data Office of the Public Enterprise for Tourism and Sport indicates that the hotel establishments in the community expect to exceed an occupancy rate of 77.4% during this October bridge, a period in which the region will receive more than 1,170 flights with 210,000 seats.

This study adds data about the perception of business owners and details that 83.6% state that the results will be the same or better than those recorded during the October 12th bridge in previous years. In this regard, they specify that the expected occupancy rate in rural accommodations in Andalusia will be 43.5%. By provinces, Cádiz and Jaén stand out as it is anticipated that more than half of the available places will be occupied, reaching 56.2% and 50.2% respectively.

As for tourist use homes (VUT), the occupancy rate will be 48.3%. In the analysis of the Andalusian provinces, it is in Sevilla where the highest occupancy is expected, 77.2%, followed by Córdoba where it is estimated that 72.7% of the holiday rental places offered will be occupied.

The hustle of travelers is already noticeable at the airports. The air infrastructures in Andalusia will receive a total of 1,173 flights, which represents an increase of 5.9% compared to the same period last year. From the regional government, it is stated that more than 210,000 seats will be offered, a 6.2% increase from 2024.