The Costa del Sol is set to have a prosperous year for tourism in 2023. According to the Alliance for Excellence in Tourism (Exceltur), the holiday destination is predicted to have the strongest tourism forecasts in Spain during the months of April, May, and June. This growth is expected to be at 11.1% more than the same period in 2019, which is higher than the rest of the coastal destinations on the Peninsula.
In fact, the forecast for the Costa del Sol is almost four percentage points above the national average and higher than that of competing areas of the country such as the Valencian coast, Murcia, and Catalonia. Malaga city, in particular, is noted to be the second Spanish urban destination with the highest growth in tourism revenue in the first three months of the year, with an increase of 27.5% compared to 2019.
Exceltur has stated that Spanish tourism entrepreneurs are optimistic about the rest of the year and are expecting an increase in sales of 7.9% on average from April to June compared to the same period in 2019. This growth is driven by the prevalence of travel and leisure consumption in spending decisions, the pull of activity in the congress and meetings segment, and the return of business travel, with a greater role for international demand.
All sub-sectors of the tourism chain are expected to share in this optimism for the second quarter, with holiday hotels expected to increase their bookings by 8.7% compared to the historical year of 2019. Golf courses and major theme parks are confident of 6.3% more sales, urban hotels expect an 8.9% increase, and passenger transport companies expect 13.5% more seats sold. Rental companies are also expected to increase their sales by 8.9%.
So, if you’re planning a holiday, the Costa del Sol should definitely be on your list as it’s expected to have a fantastic year for tourism.
