Laurence Dollimore
RESTAURANTS along the Costa del Sol have reported earning up to 25% less this summer despite record visitor numbers.
Just over 10 million people arrived at Malaga Airport between January and June, a year-on-year increase of 23.3%.
The figures are also a 9.2% jump on 2019, which was the last record year before Covid wrought havoc on the industry.
Despite this, the owner of a popular rib restaurant in the centre of Marbella claimed he expected to be down by ‘around 15%’.
He told the Olive Press: “It’s a shame because there are so many more tourists this year but everyone is down.
“Lots of places on the paseo are seeing profits fall, some by as much as 25%, compared to 2022.
“I think people are tightening their belts and eating more at home, especially the Brits who are dealing with a cost of living crisis and inflation back home.”
The story was the same in San Pedro de Alcantara, a small town just a few kilometres west of Marbella.
One owner of a top restaurant told the Olive Press: “People are just not spending like they did last year.
“Places are down by 10-20% but we have to remember that 2022 was an amazing year, it was like an explosion after all the Covid lockdowns, that is always going to be hard to beat.”
In the first half of 2023, Brits were by far the biggest visitor, accounting for just over 2.4million.
Germany followed in a distant second with 703,698 visitors, while 635,208 people flew in from Holland.
