On 14 May, the results of a study carried out by the Malaga Tourism Observatorypresented by the Councillor for Tourism and City PromotionMaría del Mar Martín Rojo.

The document, which was prepared by ActionMKestimates that between November 2016 and October 2017, 2.35 million people stayed in Malaga.not counting the 1.60 million excursionists.

It also highlights the high hotel occupancy rate, which reached 77.82%which represents a growth of 1.1%. Malaga presents a high profitability of its hotel plant, reaching a revenue per available room of 67.80 €, which is 11.18% more than in the same period of the previous year.

Highlight the hotel employment growth of 8.74% in this periodThe number of jobs increased from 1,304 to 1,418.

Data on the average tourist's opinion of Malaga

Hotel Facilities

In October, the offer of tourist accommodation regulated reached the 397 establishments in the city, with 19,019 vacancies (excluding dwellings for tourism purposes).

Including these dwellings, the figure rises to 31,679 bedplaces. Thus, in terms of this period, tourist dwellings accounted for 12,489 bedplaces.

Analysis tool

The Tourism Observatory of the City of Malaga is an instrument for studying and analysing the tourism scenario in the capital, promoted by the Malaga Tourism Forum, in which the main private agents and the City Council are represented. The report also provides information aimed at planning and decision-making in the area of tourism.

By means of 1,200 interviews carried out during the time analysed with tourists and excursionists who came to Malaga, information was extracted on their socio-demographic profiles, consumer habits, behaviour in the destination and their levels of loyalty and satisfaction with the offer they receive.

As the Councillor for Tourism, María del Martín Rojo, indicated, Malaga is undoubtedly an attractive destination for tourists, the reason for which lies in the diversity of the leisure offer, the beaches, the climate, and the cultural tourism offer. She also stressed that the city can boast of being a destination that has avoided seasonality.

Tourist characterisation

 The domestic market continued to be the main source of tourists to the city this year. Mainly, the tourists come from Andalusia, Madrid and Catalonia.However, it should be noted that Andalusian tourists now account for 42.34% of national tourists.

As for the employment status of tourists in Malaga, they are mainly employed, but there is also a significant proportion of retired people and students. The average age of tourists is 42.7 years old. If we talk about the most characteristic level of income of the family unit, this is situated between 1,500 and 2,000 euros.

The most characteristic motivations for tourists to choose the city are leisure and recreational activities.s, as well as the culture, the climate, and the opportunity to live an experience. The average budget of each tourist is 733.21 Euros563.94 in the previous period.

The car and plane would be the most used means of transport to get to Malaga.In terms of accommodation, three- and four-star hotels are the most popular, although it is also worth mentioning the importance of the homes of family and friends, as well as tourist accommodation.

If we ask ourselves what is the most popular activity carried out in the destination, we find that walking around the city, gastronomic activities and visiting the Historic Centre, as well as the main museums and monuments, are the most recurrent answers.

And how satisfied are tourists visiting our city? The results of the study tell us that it is situated in a 8.58 out of 10.

What aspects do they value most? The attention and treatment they receive, the offer in the restaurant sector and the safety of the city. When asked if they would recommend the city, practically all of them answered in the affirmative; furthermore, 93.56% said they would return.

Characterisation of the hiker

In terms of the nationalities of international excursionists, the main countries are the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

The 84,24% of the excursionists stated that the main reason for visiting the city was for holidays, and that once at the destination, the main motivations were the attractiveness of the cultural resources and the climate. The average out-of-pocket expenditure of excursionists was 72.44 euros, double that of the previous period.

Finally, among the abundance of activities carried out in the city, gastronomic activities and visits to monuments and museums stood out. Tourists rated the city with a score of 8, with the leisure offer, the attention and treatment received, the environment and public safety being the most highly valued aspects.