Luxury the biggest draw for many Costa del Sol tourists

Luxury hunters stalking their prey: the high-end stores of Puerto Banús

Forget the dazzling sunshine, stunning mountain backdrop, variety of beaches and excellent cuisine – the world’s elite are drawn to the Costa del Sol because of its abundant luxury services, according to a recent study by the Costa del Sol Tourism Board.

Perhaps eager to understand why the region is perennially one of the world’s most visited places, the Tourism Board polled a number of visitors to ask what it was about the Costa del Sol that attracted them…

The results were both surprising and, well, nothing new. Professionals aged between 35-55 from the UK, Germany, Scandinavia, Russia and the Middle East arrive on the Costa del Sol armed with a holiday budget ranging from a not-even-modest €3,000 to a barely believable €50,000.

The study found that they spend an average of €600 per day, excluding accommodation, and enjoy wandering the high-end boutiques that line the harbour in Puerto Banús.

The Costa del Sol Tourism Board has evidently not rested on its laurels with this information – it was heavily present at the recent International Luxury Travel Market, held in Cannes, France. This fair is one of the leading luxury travel fairs in the world, attracting the rich, famous and fabulous in their droves as they seek out their next getaway destination.

The Board’s president, Elias Bendodo, confirmed that the Costa del Sol had earmarked the event as one of the key events in the tourism calendar, meeting with wealthy backers from the USA, Brazil and India.

Of course, the Costa del Sol has much more to offer than simply stylish restaurants, glamorous night clubs and clothing stores where an average monthly wage might be enough to purchase a pair of shoes. The exclusive beach clubs are well-known, but so are the free-to-sit sand beaches that lie right next to them. Stray a little farther inland from the front line of Puerto Banús and you can eat well for less, drink in some lovely bars and enjoy wonderful views of the stunning landscape.

And that’s just in and around Puerto Banús. Head to any of the neighbouring coastal resorts or inland pueblos and it’s an entirely different world altogether.

But then that’s the Costa del Sol’s strength – something for everybody, wrapped in an easy-to-navigate, attractive bundle in one of the warmest corners of the world.