Malaga broke all domestic tourism records in 2024

The province of Málaga continues as the main engine of Andalusia in terms of domestic tourism. Moreover, last year it broke all historical records and even, in percentage terms, surpassed the also record growth shown by the coast. This was highlighted by the president of the Provincial Council, Francisco Salado, accompanied by the CEO of Tourism Costa del Sol, Esperanza González, during the presentation of the 2024 balance for this segment.

Tourism Employment

The head of the provincial institution emphasized that domestic tourism is one of the most important assets to "combat depopulation and create jobs" in municipalities that have suffered demographic decline for decades. However, during the last 12 months, tourism employment in the inland areas increased by 37%, 30% more than in the entire province.

There were a total of 18,700 jobs, thanks to a total of 1,388,000 visits which represented almost a 2% increase over the previous year. Thus, the inland now accounts for one-tenth of all provincial tourist traffic. "It's the highest figure in history," Salado reported. The economic impact has been estimated at nearly 1.8 million euros, 10% more than in 2023. The average spending per visitor per day also grew, by up to 18.2%.

Málaga leads rural tourism occupancy for the Andalusia Day bridge, with an increase of almost 10%

More Accommodations

With average stays of one week, the province increasingly boasts a larger offering of places in the interior. And currently, it already surpasses the combined offerings of five other Andalusian provinces: Sevilla, Huelva, Jaén, Córdoba, and Almería. There are 8,100 existing accommodations with more than 66,000 places, a 9% increase from the previous year. Of these, 18,000 places are for tourist housing and just over 6,000 are hotel places.

For Salado, Málaga has consolidated its regional leadership in domestic tourism, capturing 3 out of every 10 travelers who choose Andalusia for their stays. And more than half of the overnight stays recorded last year in the autonomous community correspond to the province. The president of the provincial entity mentioned that the fight against depopulation is supported by actions that generate visitors in these inland regions, such as the Sabor a Málaga brand, wine routes, bird watching activities, as well as initiatives from development groups "that help us retain the population." Salado concluded that in Málaga "we are on the right track, because these activities generate a lot of wealth and employment".