James Warren
THE financial impact of the infamous spitting DJ at the Los Alamos nightclub in Torremolinos has been revealed in a new advertising campaign.
Turismo Costa del Sol launched a campaign to show the effects of irresponsible behaviour on the industry in an effort to curb further incidents.
According to the research, the incident at the Kokun Ocean Beach Club back in August involving Fali Sotomayor, one half of the Malaga based dance music duo Les Castizos, cost the region €711,000 in tourist revenue.
Millions of people saw the incident which involved Sotomayor spitting jagermeister over dancing revellers and sharing the bottle during the height of the pandemic.
The 22-second clip also showed hundreds of party goers not wearing masks or social distancing at a time when the quarantine was lifted but restrictions were still in place.
The group apologised publicly and the club faced a police investigation, however Turismo Costa de Sol has now placed a monetary figure on the affair.
According to the body, the video was covered by over 60 news websites and was viewed by over 191 million people online.
Researchers agreed that in total, 1,057 negative comments were left, which if classed as potential tourists, would equate to 7,297 overnight stays.
This figure, multiplied by the average daily spending of €307,33 and hotel cost of €260, equates to an overall loss of €711,678.
Malaga chief Francisco Salado denounced the incident at the time, and in the wake of new figures, calls on greater responsibility among residents and business owners.
“It is not so much the loss of income but the need to be aware of the consequences that these acts have on tourism and the Costa del Sol brand,” said Salado.
“We have to remind people of the importance of tourism and the simple fact that everyone is an ambassador for the area.”
