Costa del Sol tourism record enjoying its best season in 10 years

Don’t discount it just yet, The Costa del Sol is still proving a favourite with tourists. Recent provisional figures released by The Costa del Sol tourist board indicate that 2006 could in fact be the Sunshine Coast’s best year yet in the last 10 years of tourism becoming a fully fledged industry there.

July 2006’s estimated figures have built on an impressive start to the year, illustrating a 3 percent growth for July hotel occupancy rates and the Tourist Board’s figures predict even better results than last year for August, this is despite the fact that this year there are 3,000 extra beds for the industry to fill. According to the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, the supply of hotel accommodation in the area has increased by 4.36 per cent since last summer and between the beginning of the decade and the end of 2005 the number of beds on offer on the Costa del Sol has gone from 61,000 to 80,000.

The Spanish newspaper SUR in English last week that hotels expected to fill 85 percent of their beds. According to Juan Fraile, the Chairman of the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, the figures show that the area is not only capable of absorbing the new supply, but it is also able to continue to move forward. Traditional bookings, internet websites enquires and last minute bookings have all contributed to the healthy number of visitors to the Costa del Sol. A second study also revealed that currently 85 percent of tourists in Andalucia are from the European Community. New promotional campaigns are now underway to attract the United States and Canadian markets.

As the tourism limelight becomes a space that is increasingly being shared, the Spanish tourist office in the UK is stepping up its promotional activity in London with a planned beach party on Regent Street with sand, flamenco dancers and typical Tapas imported all the way from Benidorm. This is also a direct response to widespread British press speculation over a slump in the Spanish property prices. However recent figures prove these predictions to be unfounded when backed by Costa del Sol tourism figures, such that investment in the Spain real estate market remains a lucrative proposition, as long as buyers choose their Spanish property carefully.

Costa Del Sol Property
The Spanish property buyer has a wealth of coasts to choose from when deciding to make Andalucía their home in the sun. Despite the inevitable media flurry that goes with new hotspots taking centre stage, Spain and the Costa del Sol still manage to hold their own in the world of overseas property. Spain has the upper hand over many new emerging markets, as the fact remains that:
- it still a 2 hour flight from most of Western Europe
- there is a wide choice of airlines and airports to fly into and you could even drive there if you were inclined to
- there is a well-developed infrastructure, roads, motorways, leisure and entertainment options which puts it miles ahead of direct competitors such as Bulgaria who are still developing their tourism offerings.
- you can even get away with not speaking the language though speaking Spanish myself, it does not fill me with enthusiasm saying this.

For many however the deciding factor is the Mediterranean climate, the Costa del Sol lives up to its name so sports enthusiasts can practise and perfect their skill to their hearts content and a warm outdoor lifestyle reigns true, usually right through until late September, making the quality of life second to none.
 
Popular towns and cities such as Malaga, the capital of Andalusia, the world famous Puerto Banus, the cosmopolitan town of Marbella and growing holiday desinations such as Benalmadena, Calahonda, Mijas and Estepona offer a wide choice of Spanish Property options.

Màlaga Airport Expansion
Whilst newer markets are getting their airports built, following a doubling of passenger numbers through Málaga Airport over the past 10 years, major works are underway to expand the airport terminal. However this has not affected passenger volume on low-cost airlines coming into Málaga which instead has increased by 26.3% on figures for last June, with a total of 236,000 last month, according to newspaper reports.

Easyjet, who brought 80% of those passengers into Málaga from the UK, forecasts 2 million passengers for the whole year. Estimates made after the influx of tourists at Easter forecast that they and the two other main low-cost airlines operating at Málaga, Monarch and Air Berlin, would bring in 3 million passengers by the year end. Between them, the three control almost half of the aircraft arrivals at Málaga Airport. 

Read on for details of a front-line beach spanish property opportunity in Mijas Costa on the Costa del Sol.