October Tourism Boost in Marbella
A view from Venus Beach in Marbella reveals a promising October for the hotel tourism sector in the municipality. There has been a significant increase in both the arrival of tourists (26%) and overnight stays (10%). The good weather, coupled with the Pilar Bridge holiday and events like “4 Day Walking”, have helped to extend the season. All indicators are on the rise, except for the average stay, which is slightly lower.
Positive Trend in Marbella’s Hotel Tourism
The positive trend in the evolution of hotel tourism in Marbella continues, with good data, although it has not yet reached the levels prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Hotel Occupancy Survey (EOH) from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) for October shows an extension of the high summer season that is becoming increasingly common. The good weather contributes to this, as well as the Pilar Bridge holiday, which this year ran from Thursday to Sunday, and events like the “Marbella 4 Days Walking”, which took place from the 5th to the 8th.
Visitor Statistics for October
According to the INE, Marbella received 70,479 visitors in October who stayed in hotels, which is 14,766 more than last year (+26.50%). Despite this strong increase, it is still far from the numbers seen before the pandemic: 73,257 in 2019 and the record of 74,265 in 2017. The arrival of foreigners (52,977) grew compared to 2022 (+8,531), as did the number of nationals (17,502) which also increased compared to a year ago (+6,235).
Overnight Stays
In October, 230,734 overnight stays were registered in Marbella, which is 25,262 more hotel nights than last year, with a significant growth of 10%. However, this figure is far from the record set in 2017 with 285,103 stays and also below 2019, the last year prior to Covid-19 (270,367).
Other Data
The room occupancy rate was 71.36%, higher than last year (66.93%), but below the record of 2016 (72.16%). In October, according to the INE, 77 establishments were open, five less than in the same month of 2022. The average stay has increased to 3.85 days, compared to 4.31 last year. The revenue per available room (RevPar) for October was 133.08 euros, more than last year (114.53). The average price of a room in Marbella’s establishments was 190.26 euros, also higher than in 2022 (180.70 euros). As for the staff employed by the hotels, according to the INE, there were 3,522 workers, fewer than the 3,953 in 2022.
