The Japanese are eyeing Malaga as a travel destination

Japanese tourists are turning their attention to Málaga and the Costa del Sol for travel. The year-round direct flight by Qatar Airways has boosted the influx of Japanese tourists to hotels in the capital of Málaga, experiencing a growth of almost 50%. This upward trend has already surpassed last year's figures. In response to this development, the city of Málaga and Turismo Costa del Sol have carried out two promotional activities in the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Osaka, a market that generates a high-income traveler with an average spending significantly higher than the international average. Specifically, Turespaña estimates it at 2,872 euros per trip and 439 euros per day, with an average stay of 6.5 nights.

The delegation from Málaga, led by the Councilor for Tourism of the Málaga City Council, Jacobo Florido, and the Deputy for Sustainable Economic Development, Esperanza González, presented Málaga's tourist offerings in Tokyo to specialized agencies and tour operators. The event featured leaders from Qatar Airways and representatives from the Spanish Tourism Office in Tokyo. Subsequently, a second promotional event took place in Osaka on Thursday, which included participation from the Honorary Consulate of Spain in the city.

During these presentations, Florido highlighted the growth of Japanese tourism in the city and explained that until September, according to data from the Hotel Occupancy Survey published monthly by the INE, Málaga has registered 4,361 hotel travelers from Japan, who have generated 7,494 overnight stays, with an average stay of 1.87 days. These figures reflect an increase of 48% in hotel travelers, who have generated 35.3% more overnight stays until September.

"With these figures, Málaga has already surpassed the total number of Japanese visitors recorded for the entire year of 2024 (4,211), consolidating Japan as one of the markets with the highest projection for the city," he specified. González detailed that across the province, the arrival of Japanese tourists in the first nine months of the year amounted to 8,222 hotel travelers, resulting in 13,420 overnight stays.

Both explained that this collaboration is part of the City's Strategic Tourism Plan, which has enabled actions in key cities such as Doha, Seoul, Auckland, Sydney, New Delhi, Singapore, and now Tokyo and Osaka. The goal is to attract high-value travelers to Málaga within the commitment to Asian markets. "These actions reinforce Málaga's intention to diversify markets, attract long-distance travelers, and enhance high-value segments, taking advantage of air connectivity and strengthening cultural, tourist, and economic ties with Japan," they stated.