Tourism is booming on the Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol has long been a draw to the international elite and tourism here has just grown with the balmy almost year-round climate, world class golf courses, stunning resort hotels and fabulous resorts offering so much to do. The lifestyle here is outdoors, the food fantastic and the health benefits well publicised.

Recent data from the National Institute of Statistics revealed that expenditure by international tourists visiting Spain in April increased by 19.7% compared to the same month in 2016. The average expenditure per tourist stood at 955 euros with an average stay being around 7 days.

During the first four months of 2017 the total expenditure by international tourists increased 15.3% reaching a staggering 20,394 million euros. The main countries were the UK (18.4% of the total), Germany (16.1%) and France (9.5%).

And it is no surprise to see that the most popular areas to visit where this spending occurred were Cataluña, The Canaries and Andalucia. A recent report in The Olive Press stated that Malaga Airport is popular with shoppers and buying levels here top any other Spanish airport. With around 16.6 million people passing through the airport last year it is not surprising as gateway to the Costa del Sol.

The Costa del Sol is one of the most sought-after places to live too. It offers the kind of lifestyle that most people aspire to. The new developments locally are starting at a rate of knots and it is good to see cranes dotted around the landscape once again as the economy rises. Off plan apartments are being reserved in a renewed confidence.

With other reports seeing further investment into Andalucía with the arrival of the W Marbella and reports of more than €150 million invested to revitalise Torremolinos, the council is looking to offer more upmarket hotels and make it one of the top resorts on the Costa de Sol.

Tourism is most definitely booming on the Costa del Sol and long may it continue.