Laurence Dollimore
THE Costa del Sol’s tourism market had its best winter on record, new figures have revealed.
Some 3.2 million travellers visited Spain’s southernmost coast between November 2018 and March of this year, beating all previous winter periods since records began.
Forecasts now predict that at least 7.3 million tourists will visit the coast this summer, and that this year will smash all previous records with 13 million visitors.
It comes after 2018 saw a record-breaking 12.6 million holidaymakers descend on the costa.
“The winter season has been the best in the history of the Costa del Sol,” a government spokesperson said, “Businesses have had increases throughout the low season and there are very good expectations in high season too.”
Spanish and British visitors made up a whopping 60% of the trips during winter.
Government sources said the Brits continue to be the dominating foreign force and that flight bookings have increased despite Brexit.
Tourism boss Arturo said the British market seemed to be ‘unaffected’.
Meanwhile travellers from Greece soared by 184%, Czech Republic (+61.3%), Austria (+52%), Japan (+33%), Russia (+22.3%), Finland (+9.3%), France (+9.1%), Italy (+8.8%), USA (+6.6%) and Sweden (+5.6%).
The welcome stats come after a strong digital marketing campaign which targeted nine of Spain’s biggest regional capitals and 45 cities across 12 European countries.
“Every year we are showing travellers that Malaga can be a year-round destination,” said Tourism director Arturo Bernal.
Yet another “Project Fear” prediction proved wrong.
An understandable reaction to the coming madness. This is a last desperate grab at a Spanish holiday before Brexit kicks in, probably now in October. “Eat, drink and be merry” For tomorrow we jump off the cliff.
Another person who believes “Project Fear”,so far the only prediction to come true is that the pound dropped against the euro. This happened because of project fear not brexit. Keep shouting doom and gloom and some people will panic. Unemployment in the UK at record low, where else in the EU can say that.