Beach businesses make €1 billion, Costa del Sol

Business owners along the Costa del Sol this Summer have generated a billion Euros in the last 12 months and created between 8,000 and 10,000 new jobs during the summer season.

According to Patricia Ojeda Paredes, chair of Association of Beach Business Owners (AEplayas) who said ‘In Malaga province alone, there are some 600 establishments on the beaches, not only chiringuitos, restaurants, but also hammock rentals and paddle board hire. The Summer season alone needs between 8,000 and 10,000 extra full-time employees.’

20,000 and 25,000 jobs are created by coastal businesses

The AEplayas representative went on to estimate that between 20,000 and 25,000 jobs are created by other coastal businesses, and she explains that the sector is having a great deal of difficulty finding workers, but even more so when it comes to skilled professionals who provide the quality of service expected in our region.

One of the issues, she says, is the harsh reality of the cost and difficulty in finding rental accommodation in the area. Added to that, the infrequency of public transport and the fact that the commuter trains do not go beyond Fuengirola. She went on to say that while there is a good relationship between small businesses and the administration, the sector could do with some simplification of bureaucratic procedures and continuity of policies when it comes to changes in local governments.