Costa del Sol hotel occupancy falls, August outlook raises concern
Hotel occupancy on Spain's Costa del Sol fell 1.45% in July and the August forecast has dropped more than 7 points. Inflation and high prices are weighing on tourism.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Costa del Sol starts July with lower hotel occupancy and the shadow of a worse August
The Costa del Sol began July with hotel occupancy of 86.3%, one and a half points lower than last year. The figure, released by the industry association Aehcos, is already bad. But the real worry is called August: the forecast points to a drop of more than seven points compared with 2025. Aehcos president José Luque is counting on last-minute bookings to close the gap, but the outlook is the worst in recent years.
What is going on? Inflation has eaten into families' purchasing power. Hotel and restaurant prices have risen while wages have not kept up. Users on the forum point out that domestic tourism, which fills the hotels in July and August, is opting for cheaper destinations. Some compare: "A 15-day half-board alucinación to the Costa del Sol costs more than all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic." Others point to so-called "sandwich tourism": plenty of hotel bookings, but minimal spending on dining out.
Meanwhile, Seville is "buzzing" for the season, according to some comments, suggesting that inland city tourism may be holding up better. In any case, the Costa del Sol faces a bittersweet summer. A weak July, and August looks worse. Last-minute bookings will decide whether the drop stays a scare or becomes a real slump.
The Costa del Sol began July with hotel occupancy of 86.3%, one and a half points lower than last year. The figure, released by the industry association Aehcos, is already bad. But the real worry is called August: the forecast points to a drop of more than seven points compared with 2025. Aehcos president José Luque is counting on last-minute bookings to close the gap, but the outlook is the worst in recent years.
What is going on? Inflation has eaten into families' purchasing power. Hotel and restaurant prices have risen while wages have not kept up. Users on the forum point out that domestic tourism, which fills the hotels in July and August, is opting for cheaper destinations. Some compare: "A 15-day half-board alucinación to the Costa del Sol costs more than all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic." Others point to so-called "sandwich tourism": plenty of hotel bookings, but minimal spending on dining out.
Meanwhile, Seville is "buzzing" for the season, according to some comments, suggesting that inland city tourism may be holding up better. In any case, the Costa del Sol faces a bittersweet summer. A weak July, and August looks worse. Last-minute bookings will decide whether the drop stays a scare or becomes a real slump.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (40 replies).
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