Last year the Costa del Sol welcomed record numbers of tourists, whose expenditure amounted to 11.5 billion euros over the 12 month period - expenditure that was responsible for an increase of employment by more than 6% and the creation of almost 800 new tourism-related businesses.
Tourist numbers and overnight stays, so Elias Bendodo, the president of Costa del Sol Tourism, rose by 4.5% and 3.7% respectively. The percentage of residential tourists may not have shown in this particular report, but that sector has also seen a sharp increase, as more Marbella and Malaga City holiday home owners are making use of their properties throughout the year.
Tourism helps Spain to rise out of economic Quagmire
This huge influx of tourists has also had a positive impact on investment recorded in the region's real estate sector. La Zagaleta and Sotogrande, two of Marbella's most exclusive and luxurious residential areas, have just seen multi-million euro investment deals. In other parts of Marbella, investment groups are buying up the last remaining strips of seafront to create a new luxury hotel resort - it seems, Malaga Province has finally turned an important economic corner after the collapse of the property market and downturn of the country's economy at the beginning of 2008.
Last year was the best year ever for Costa del Sol tourism-related businesses, following on from a hugely successful year 2014, another record year for this part of southern Spain. Employment, business and hotel profits are are thriving once more, Elias Bendodo outlined with a report by the Costa del Sol Tourism organisation.
While in 2014, the Costa del Sol recorded a landmark result of 10 million visitors in one year, last year this figure rose to 10.6 million, of whom 4.2 million visitors chose to stay in hotels, representing a 4.3% rise on 2014. The year ended for the hotel sector with a total of 17 million overnight stays.
"The Costa del Sol has positioned itself as the third coastal tourism area of Spain in terms of visitors and the fourth in volume of overnight stays, behind only Barcelona, the island of Mallorca and Tenerife," Tourism President Bendodo explained. He added that Malaga Province was not the leading province on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, in terms of income per hotel room, which was second only to Barcelona. Profitability of the sector increased by 10.6%, he said, while at the same time the average occupancy rate in hotels had also gone up.
Increases in the core markets, such as Germany and Britain, meant that more foreign visitors than ever arrived at Malaga Airport last year. Indeed, the airport ended the year with a record of its own: 14.4 million air passengers were handled by Malaga Airport staff in 2015, a 4.8% increase on the previous year.
Following a Strategy of year-round Tourism is paying off
These increases are due to a number of factors. Firstly, Malaga City is now a major attraction for world-wide travellers. Its art galleries and museums, trendy shopping districts, boutique hotels, indeed the new art, culinary and music scene that has sprung up in the city have been responsible for drawing large numbers of visitors last year. Marbella has also changed tacked in its approach to tourism. It no longer courts the summer guests alone, but pursues a year-round tourism strategy with cultural events spaced out more evenly throughout the year, such as the International Film Festival and major music and charity events.
Although August was the busiest month at Malaga Airport in 2015, December alone saw 10.2% more passengers use the airport than in the same month in 2014, a clear indication that visitors no longer come to Malaga Province just for the sunshine and beaches.
The various new developments planned in Malaga City and Marbella should contribute to a consolidation of year-round tourism. The recent announcement of the "Valderrama 2" golf resort project in the Zagaleta district of Marbella will have delighted Europe's golf enthusiasts, who are happy to arrive at any time of the year, not just in July and August. Not only will the new championship golf complex boast a new luxury hotel, but there are plans or some residential homes to be built along the lines of La Zagaleta's luxury villas, offered at estimated starting prices of around 3 million euors each.
The exclusive district attracts some of the world's wealthiest buyers. Sporting magnificent views over the Mediterranean Sea and the Sierra de las Nieves Mountains, the villas tend to have more than 3 bedrooms and bathrooms, plot sizes of 4,500 square metres+ and close proximity to the sea and golf courses, horse-riding stables and many more local attractions. Being just a short drive from Marbella centre, it is not surprising that the area is so sought after, even though a very healthy bank account is required to be a home owner or tourist here. The local Riding Club for example boasts pure Arab and Spanish horses, not just any old pony or horse breed.