The Costa del Sol welcomes more tourists and closes 2011 with 9.1 million visitors
At Fitur, the Tourist Board will showcase by activity type and new product based on cultural facilities within the area of Málaga, Ronda and Antequera
Published in Diariosur.es – 16.01.12
PILAR MARTÍNEZ | MÁLAGA
The Costa del Sol is preparing to display at the International Exhibition for Tourism (FITUR) in Madrid, and it looks like they have done their homework well! The President of the Tourist Board, Elías Bendodo, presented the final figures for 2011 yesterday and outlined that the area has managed to close a complicated year, due to the economic situation, with a 3.5% increase in the number of tourist arrivals to bring the number of visitors up to over 9.1 million. Income generated from tourism has also been stable, reaching some 8,000 million euros. “It gives me great pleasure to be able to announce these figures at a time when it is important to grow, but also to do so to these levels. Tourism is now the main industry in the province”, said Bendodo.
Based on the report, the President of the Tourist Board also pointed out that all growth indicators have risen, including those for employment, but with the exception of those representing the average length of a visitor´s stay, which has fallen from 13 days to 9, and also the budget to be spent on the trip, which has fallen from 800 to 760 euros.
Tourism represents more than 13% of the province´s GDP, a fact which Bendodo uses to justify the huge display designed for the 32nd edition of Fitur, due to open next Wednesday. At this year´s exhibition, this tourist destination will be presented as one area, with only Málaga and Torremolinos having their own separate stand, and the products will be presented by activity type. The big change this year will be the presentation of the product under the initials MAR, which stand for the cultural tourism area made up of Málaga, Antequera and Ronda, to be made by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Isabel Borrego, and the Secretary of State for Equal Opportunities, Juan Manuel Moreno.
