Costa del Sol Tourism To Break Records In 2019

Record-breaking summer

In a recent press conference, Francisco Salado, acting President of the Costa del Sol Tourism Board, announced that Málaga province’s coastal haven would enjoy its best summer ever in terms of visitor numbers.

He speculated that as many as 7.3 million tourists would visit the Costa del Sol between this June and September alone, which would be an increase of 3.2% - or 150,000 holidaymakers – on 2018 (the last time the tourism record was smashed).

Tourists by nationality

According to further analysis undertaken by tourist industry experts, the number of holidaymakers from certain countries have skyrocketed over the last few years.

Between 2013 and 2018, arrivals from Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Holland and Finland increased by over 70%; while the tendency for the French, Belgians, Swiss, Irish and the Spanish (travelling domestically) to summer on the Sunshine Coast went up by between 30% and 60% in that same period.

In terms of the Brits, Germans and Norwegians, Costa del Sol tourism growth was more moderate yet consistent – up between 10% and 30% during the same half-decade.

Employment figures

Salado also made mention to some other key statistics to emphasise the fact that hotels, bars, restaurants and other local businesses and services will be able to cope with the increased demand this summer.

Specifically, he highlighted that there are more than 136,000 registered employees in the tourist sector on the Coast who represent 21% of all people in work in the province of Málaga.

This is evidently a good thing, since businesses are clearly prepared for the summer boom in Costa del Sol tourism. And this invariably improves a tourist’s experience, meaning they are more likely to return on future occasions.

After all, from a visitor’s point of view, there’s nothing worse than waiting ages to get served in a bar, to receive painfully slow service in a restaurant due to lack of staff or to see nothing but an empty reception desk when you arrive to check-in after a long journey.

Annual total to exceed 13 million?

The conclusion drawn by some analysts is that the total Costa del Sol tourism figure for 2019 will be north of 13 million, which would, again, be a record-breaking number (by almost 8%).

The Costa del Sol’s excellent climate and the fact that it’s popular high season for golf coincides with low season in most seaside resorts are two reasons why tourists come to southern Spain year-round.

With more air routes linking the Málaga-Costa del Sol international airport with the rest of the world than ever before and large-scale improvements to long distance, high-speed train travel on the horizon, it’s easy to see how the Coast will continue to thrive for years to come… both as a tourist destination and as a permanent home, since it offers some of the best and most varied property for sale in Spain.

Do you plan to visit the Costa del Sol this year? Where are you travelling to? Or perhaps you are already a resident here… what do you think about tourist numbers going up year after year?

Sources:

http://www.malaga.es/noticias/com1_md-3/com1_md3_cd-38806/la-costa-del-sol-crecera-un-3-2-durante-el-verano-y-recibira-7-3-millones-de-turistas-entre-junio-y-septiembre

https://www.larazon.es/local/andalucia/la-costa-del-sol-superara-este-ano-los-13-millones-de-turistas-KE23728255