Marbella’s Holy Week Procession Boosts Tourism
One of the few processions that took place during Holy Week in Marbella last March has resulted in excellent tourism figures for the city. The records for overnight stays, arrival of foreign tourists, and occupancy rates stand out. The influx of visitors increased by 13% compared to the previous year. The sector employed 2,885 workers, slightly less than in 2023.
Record-Breaking Tourism Figures for March in Marbella
The tourism data for March in Marbella is very positive, with increases compared to the previous year and various records in the historical series. Undoubtedly, the celebration of Holy Week may have influenced these excellent figures, despite unfavorable weather conditions. In March, there was a record number of overnight stays, foreign tourist arrivals, and room occupancy rates.
Latest Data from the Hotel Occupancy Survey
According to the latest data from the Hotel Occupancy Survey (EOH) of the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the city welcomed 62,196 visitors who stayed in hotels in March, which is 7,160 more than the previous year (55,036), a percentage increase of 13%. This figure is the second-best since records began, only surpassed by the 70,074 tourists in 2006. The influx of foreigners was 40,091, a record for this time of year, meaning that never before have so many visitors from outside Spain arrived in Marbella in March.
Overnight Stays in March
In March, 221,094 overnight stays were registered in Marbella, which is 63,781 more hotel nights than the previous year, an increase of 40%. This is a record in the historical series, surpassing the previous one from 2016, when 176,846 hotel nights were counted in March. The overnight stays of foreigners reached a record figure of 153,843 (29,256 more than the previous year), while those of Spaniards reached 67,251 (34,525 more).
Other Data
The room occupancy rate was 63.78%, a record for the month of March, surpassing the previous one, which was last year’s (57.57%). In March, according to the INE, 76 establishments were open, four less than in the same month of 2023. The average stay was 3.55 days, above the 2.86 of the previous year, but below the record of 3.73 in 2016. The revenue per available room (RevPar) in February rose to 92.69 euros, less than the 98.85 in 2023. The average price of a room in Marbella’s establishments was 140.63 euros, below the 170.14 of the previous year. As for the staff employed by the hotels, according to the INE, it was 2,885 workers, slightly less than the previous year.
