Promoting the Costa del Sol in London

The president of the Provincial Council and Costa del Sol Tourism, Francisco Salado, travelled to the World Travel Market (WTM) in London.

Salado has highlighted the leadership of the Costa del Sol compared to other destinations in Andalucia and Spain because, travellers from the United Kingdom staying in the province of Malaga represent 70 per cent of the total for Andalucia and 9 percent for Spain as a whole.

The president explained that Turismo Costa del Sol attended the WTM with the aim of recovering in 2024 the records of the British market to the same levels of 2019, strengthen the position of the destination. In a speech he also appealed for prudence, “due to the global economic situation and the high levels of inflation”.

However, although the main tourism indicators of the British market on the Costa del Sol so far this year are not yet at the levels of 2019, he was optimistic because the tourism records of this market have improved considerably with respect to the year 2022 and the gap has narrowed with respect to the figures prior to the health crisis.

British tourism on the Costa del Sol

Salado highlighted in his speech some of the most significant data of British tourism on the Costa del Sol, detailing that, from January to August this year, 821,907 Britons have stayed in hotels and apartments on the Costa del Sol, which means “a growth over the same period in 2022 of 8.3%.

Salado also referred to the arrivals of British passengers at Malaga airport, saying that ,”between January and August 1,830,505 have arrived, 10.7% less than in 2019, but 12% more than in the same period last year. In other words, the figures have improved considerably this year, but we still have to work hard to finish recovering the British market and return to pre-pandemic levels”.

Because of the importance of British tourism for a destination like the province of Malaga, the president of the Provincial Council has indicated that at this year’s World Travel Market, “We want to show that we are a destination of enormous quality and that we continue to be their favourite destination, we have a 200 square metres stand and more than 150 professionals with the aim of attracting clients with a higher level of spendingand continuing to build loyalty with the British client as our main foreign market”.