Decline in Tourist Apartment Visits Marks the Start of the Year in Marbella
The year has kicked off in Marbella with a decrease in visitors choosing to stay in tourist apartments, as well as a significant drop in overnight stays in January, particularly among domestic tourists. On a positive note, the average length of stay has slightly increased, exceeding a week. However, the occupancy rate has also fallen by more than ten points.
2024 Begins on a Low Note for Tourism in Marbella
If 2023 ended with a decline in tourists opting for holiday homes, 2024 has not started much better. According to data provided by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the number of tourists, overnight stays, and occupancy rates have all decreased. The only slight increase was in the average length of stay.
January Sees a Drop in Tourist Numbers
In January, 7,431 visitors chose a tourist apartment in Marbella, 1,415 fewer than the previous year, marking a 16% decrease. The data shows a significant drop in domestic visitors (874), a 55% decrease, while there were 6,557 foreign visitors, a 5% decrease. Spanish tourists made up only 12% of the total, with the rest coming from outside Spain (88%). Despite the apparent rise in the popularity of tourist apartments, the record for visitors in a January month was set in 2017, when 11,236 people chose this type of accommodation.
Overnight Stays Decrease in January
In January, according to these figures, there were 57,007 overnight stays, a 3.85% decrease from the previous year (59,293), equating to 2,286 fewer nights. The decrease is due to domestic tourists, whose stays decreased by 43% to 4,356, while foreign stays increased slightly by 2% to 52,651. The average length of stay slightly increased to 7.67 days, compared to 6.70 days in the same month of the previous year. Occupancy fell to 44.78%, more than ten points lower than the same period in 2023 (55.12%). According to the INE, it is estimated that 662 people were employed in these types of accommodations.
Hotels and Apartments Attract a Total of 36,652 Tourists in January
If we add the visitors who stayed in hotels (29,221 visitors) to those who chose tourist apartments (7,431), Marbella welcomed a total of 36,652 tourists in January.
Related News: Marbella starts the year with fewer tourists and overnight stays than in 2023.
