More Ryanair Flights planned between Malaga and Bournemouth

Founded in 1810 by Lewis Tregonwell, the English seaside resort of Bournemouth is today better known for being a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its 95-mile long Jurassic Coast and its ageing population, thanks to a steady influx of retirees relocating to this part of Dorset. It seems therefore an unlikely place to capture the imagination of low-cost carrier Ryanair, but Bournemouth Airport has seen a steady rise in passenger numbers of the years, now offering destinations such as Alicante, Carcassonne, Geneva, Dublin, Faro, Tenerife, Pisa and Malaga Airport.

Pensioner Buying Power

The "grey pound" is beginning to make itself felt and tourism chiefs all over the world are ignoring the buying power of pensioners at their peril. Malaga Province is gradually turning into a home-from-home destination for many people, not just UK residents who have opted to buy a holiday home at the Costa del Sol with the view of eventually sharing their time between a pleasant place like Bournemouth and Marbella, Benehavis or Estepona.

With a population of ca. 400,000 residents Bournemouth is not small but not a metropolis either. Brimming with fine examples of Victorian architecture, the town serves as the regional centre of commerce, but in winter there isn't a great deal to do for locals or holidaymakers.

The burgeoning Malaga-Bournemouth route is just one of many examples, where the "grey pound" is forcing airlines like Ryanair and tourism boards to rethink long-term strategies.

Maintaining current Passenger Numbers

Ryanair believes 2015 forecasts for Malaga Airport will be in line with last year's. Neil Sohoran, financial director at Ryanair, highlighted in a recent press conference how being a market leader at Malaga Airport helped to support ca. 2,700 indirect jobs in the province. Ryanair has been a major player at Malaga Airport since 2010, now transporting one out of every four air passengers.

The airline confirmed that this summer there would be more frequent flights between Malaga and Bournemouth, Rome and Venice. The summer timetable runs from April to October and the airline is confident this move towards improved services will be a success, maintaining the current 87% level of occupancy on planes landing or departing from Malaga Airport.

Spain's decision to freeze airport taxes in 2012 has helped to increase the number of flights from Malaga, a spokesperson for the carrier confirmed, explaining that Ryanair currently runs 48 routes per week,.

In 2013, Bournemouth Airport handled some 660,000 passengers arriving or departing to holiday destinations across Europe. In  2007, before the world-wide economic crisis, the town's international airport saw more than one million passengers pass through its gates. From May this year the airport will increase the destinations it offers, including Biarritz, Deauville, Jersey, Manchester, Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Toulon.

Reasons for leaving Bournemouth's Golden Coast

The increase in holiday destinations from Bournemouth Airport indicates local residents are far happier sampling the delights of foreign beaches than they are at enjoying Boscombe Pier and Bournemouth Beach these days. A cold and damp climate and increased living costs in the UK are partly to blame for the rising wanderlust of Bournemouth's citizens. Spain's affordable property prices are also responsible for the growing trend to look for a place in the sun elsewhere.

At the close of last year an average detached freehold property with 3 bedrooms and a small garden cost around £288,000 in Bournemouth. That's roughly 388,650 euros, which would buy substantially more "house" in the Malaga Province. While it may only buy a similar sized townhouse in Marbella, in other parts of Andalusia, in Manilva for example, an investment of just 250,000 euros buys a lovely detached villa with 3 bedrooms, garden and pool.

In Marbella a budget of 385,000 euros may only buy a semi-detached 3-bed property with garden and access to a communal pool, but who cares when far more time is spent outdoors, enjoying the amazing tourist attractions and amenities Marbella and its immediate surroundings have to offer?

Bournemouth's days as the retirement capital of Britain may well be coming to an end, if increased demand for flights to Malaga is anything to go by.