Marbella Tourism Experiences a Slight Dip in January
The tourism year in Marbella has kicked off with a slight decrease of 1.60% in hotel visitors in January compared to the previous year. There was also a more significant drop of 4.98% in overnight stays. Almost all indicators are worse than the same month in 2020, the last before the pandemic. The only increases were in room prices and profitability.
2023: A Good Year for Marbella Tourism, But Not Record-Breaking
The year 2023 was good for tourism in Marbella, but it was far from record-breaking, as it did not surpass the figures prior to Covid-19. Now, 2024 is starting on a very similar note, according to the latest data from the Hotel Occupancy Survey (EOH) of the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
January Visitor Statistics
In January, the municipality welcomed 29,221 visitors who stayed in hotels, which is 474 fewer than last year (29,695), a percentage decrease of 1.60%. This figure is below that of January 2020, pre-pandemic, when 37,996 tourists arrived, setting a record for this time of year. As usual, the influx of foreign tourists (19,871) is much higher than that of nationals (9,350).
Overnight Stays in January
In January, 89,270 overnight stays were recorded in Marbella, which is 4,677 fewer hotel nights than last year, a decrease of 4.98%. This figure is significantly lower (-34,399) than in 2020, when there were 123,669 hotel stays. Foreigners accounted for 72,924 overnight stays in January, while Spaniards accounted for 16,346.
Other Data
Room occupancy was 47.44%, lower than last year (48.93%) and well below the 2020 record (56.44%). In November, according to the INE, 55 establishments were open, ten fewer than in the same month of 2023. The average stay was 3.06 days, compared to 3.15 the previous year.
Revenue and Room Prices
Revenue per available room (RevPar) in October increased from 76.16 euros to 65.26 euros in 2023. The average room price in Marbella’s establishments set a new record at 144.98 euros, compared to 121.63 euros last year.
Employment in Hotels
As for the staff employed by the hotels, according to the INE, there were 2,423 workers, more than the 2,198 in 2023.
