Tourism in Marbella and Estepona is bouncing back after the pandemic
By Mas Property
on Wed Feb 16 2022
The two resorts on the Costa del Sol are among the six Spanish holiday destinations recovering best according to the Exceltur Barometer 2021.
The Alliance for Tourism Excellence (Exceltur) has released its Annual Barometer and identified six popular destinations that are recovering well after the Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions hit the tourism sector, including Estepona and Marbella.
According to the annual report, “Within vacation destinations, six municipalities end 2021 with improvements in income from available rooms compared to pre-pandemic levels: Benicasim (+30.7 per cent), Estepona (+25.7 per cent), Puerto de Santa María (+19.4 per cent), Chiclana (+15 per cent), Marbella (+8.4 per cent) and Roquetas (+1.5 percent).”
The recovery across Spain is though uneven. The Barometer found a “strong disparity in tourist behaviour between the different Spanish destinations in 2021. With an average drop of 50 per cent of aggregate revenue.” Nationwide, the cost of a hotel room is on average €45.60, some 25.5 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.
Domestic tourism played an important role in preserving the tourism sector. According to the report, since last May, faced with the lack of travel options abroad and savings accumulated during the tight lockdown, domestic tourists opted to spend their money on holidays in Spain.
However, destinations such as Mallorca, Ibiza, the Catalan coast, the Canary Islands and Benidorm, suffered because of their reliance on foreign tourists.
Source: SUR in English, February 2021