The Costa del Sol closes a summer with more tourists, more revenue, and more employment than ever before

The Costa del Sol closes another record-breaking summer. From June to August, the province welcomed more tourists than ever before, generating more revenue and more jobs. Francisco Salado, the president of Costa del Sol Tourism, reviews the high season and believes that "despite the economic situation where there is a sense of a cooling economy and where increased tax pressure leads to a slowdown and less purchasing power affecting all sectors of tourism, it has still been a good summer and another historic one with growth in tourists, income, and employment. These are good news."

The figures confirm this. From June to August, the province received 6,235,000 tourists, a 1.12% increase from the previous season. These travelers generated 8.915 billion euros in tourist revenue, up 1.8% from last summer.

Salado highlights the increased arrival of both Spanish and foreign tourists at the airport, with increases of 11.3% and 6.3%, respectively. The records show 4.6 million international travelers and nearly one million nationals. In total, 5.5 million passengers passed through this infrastructure until September, a 7.1% increase.

8.915

These are the millions of euros in tourist revenue recorded this summer, from June to August, on the Costa del Sol.

Furthermore, he specifies that both the number of travelers and overnight stays in Malaga hotels grew by 1.9% and 2.5%, respectively. These establishments surpassed 10 million stays over these three months. In this sector, all indicators increased except for occupancy, which showed a slight decline of 0.40% to 73.4%. Conversely, the average stay increased to 3.8 days and the profitability of these accommodations rose by 11.5%. This was aided by prices, which far from being contained, grew by almost 11% this summer, raising the average cost to 178.70 euros.

The president of Costa del Sol Tourism emphasizes that the strength of what is the province's main industry has allowed it to generate 154,652 jobs, a 3% increase. "These figures have never been recorded before. They show the importance of tourism to the local economy," explains Salado, who advances that the data they handle suggest that growth is expected to continue through the end of the year. In this regard, he reveals that from October to December, the airlines operating at Malaga Airport have scheduled a 5.4% increase in seat capacity to and from the Costa del Sol. Specifically, they are increasing air capacity to 3.47 million seats. These companies will connect the Costa del Sol with 137 cities, seven more than before. Of these, almost 40% are concentrated in the United Kingdom, with another 23% of seats offered for travel to Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Italy. "We are optimistic about the end of the year, although we must continue to be very cautious. We are aware that we must adapt to whatever may arise amid the uncertainty of the international context. We are prepared and continue to use tools such as artificial intelligence and Big Data to maintain that surgical promotion that attracts to the Costa the travelers who are most interested," declares Salado.