Malaga - another city feeling the pressure of tourist numbers

[Harters]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyn5l20z72o

[edinburgher]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyn5l20z72o

Read about it on the news this morning.

 

How long do you think before cruise ships calls are reduced. in number?

[Harters]

I suspect not that long. It's already being discussed in Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.  My guess (and it is only a guess) is that cruise tourists contribute less to a city's hospitality industry than do land based tourists. If my guess is correct, then lessening the number of cruises is an easier decision

[VMax1700]

Just aarived in Malaga this evening by air.  The flight was full.  The airport is very busy. Air traffic is using both runways, one take offs and one landings.  The car hire parking is quite empty of cars.  I booked a small car and have been given a Suzuki Vitara automatic for the booked price 😁. We will see tomorrow how crowdwd the street are in what should be the shoulder season.  

[Vineyard View]

Interesting article. I do wonder how much cruise lines in particular impact Malaga with all their excursions to Seville, etc. vs land tourists. We will be there early Apring next year, as well as Mahon mentioned in this article. Thank you for posting 

[edinburgher]

17 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

We will see tomorrow how crowdwd the street are in what should be the shoulder season. 

I am not convinced that a "shoulder season" even exits in Europe any more, as the most popular and well known cities, towns and areas appear to be busy most of the year unless it is during the winter months when they will be fewer tourists than at other times of the year.

[marazul]

28 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Interesting article. I do wonder how much cruise lines in particular impact Malaga with all their excursions to Seville, etc. vs land tourists. We will be there early Apring next year, as well as Mahon mentioned in this article. Thank you for posting 

Malaga and the Costa del Sol has been a vacation destination for Brits and other Europeans for ages. There are whole apartment blocks all along the shore used for vacation rentals, most in the budget category and most in the 1-2 week rentals.  It is also a favorite of many retirees from the colder climates who spend longer time in the area in the winter months. Those tourists certainly contribute to the economy - grocery stores, shops, transport.  Day tourists have a narrower focus - tour buses, some souvenirs and some food.  It is not as widespread or sustained in the economy as the contribution of the longer term tourists.

[Harters]

Last time, we had a holiday in that part of the world, we stayed in Estepona which is possibly the most Spanish of the resort areas along the Costa. I remember reading at that time that a nearby council area had a majority of its resident population were foreigners. My recollection is that the story was news because the newly elected mayor was a foreigner. So, yes, it is indeed very popular right along the coast 

[fruitmachine]

19 hours ago, edinburgher said:

I am not convinced that a "shoulder season" even exits in Europe any more, as the most popular and well known cities, towns and areas appear to be busy most of the year unless it is during the winter months when they will be fewer tourists than at other times of the year.

Accommodation supply is mostly inelastic, so (typically, but not universally) the price will reduce in order to increase demand to match that supply.  The net effect is that occupancy rates stay high - it's the price per night that slopes off from the peak, hence the term 'shoulder'.

[edinburgher]

2 hours ago, fruitmachine said:

it's the price per night that slopes off from the peak, hence the term 'shoulder'.

And thre was me thinking "shoulder"meant the periods before or after peak season, and "low season" would be winter.

Edited September 4 by edinburgher

[fruitmachine]

2 minutes ago, edinburgher said:

And thre was me thinking "shoulder"meant the periods before or after peak season.

They are!  It's the price that's "shoulder" not the numbers.

[VMax1700]

https://www.surinenglish.com/spain/more-than-million-visitors-up-july-spain-20240902134443-nt.html

 

Read about July tourist figures for Spain here.