The hotel occupancy rate in Malaga surpasses the levels seen in the first quarter of 2019, before the pandemic, in the early months of 2023.

The latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) shows that the hotel industry in Malaga province is recovering from the pandemic. According to the Hotel Business Survey, hotel establishments in the province surpassed their pre-pandemic occupancy figures from 2019 in the first quarter of 2023. 

The survey revealed that up to March 2023, Malaga received a total of 1.04 million tourists, a 25% increase from the previous year, and a 6.4% increase compared to three years ago. This growth in tourism is mainly attributed to an excellent Easter Week in terms of tourism.

However, despite the increase in the number of visitors, overnight stays have not yet reached the levels seen in 2019, which suggests that visitors are choosing to stay for shorter periods. In the first quarter of 2023, Malaga registered a total of 3.08 million overnight stays, which is 27% higher than the same period last year but still 1.6% below the level seen in 2019. The average stay duration so far this year is 2.94 days per tourist, compared to 3.18 days per tourist last year.

Foreign visitors continue to be the main source of business for the Malaga hotel sector, with 573,627 visitors in the first quarter of 2023, representing an increase of almost 40% compared to the same period last year. In relation to 2019, the pre-pandemic level is slightly exceeded in visitors (566,000 at the time) but not in overnight stays (2.15 million).

In terms of domestic tourism, the number of visitors to Malaga in the first quarter of 2023 was 469,270, up 11% from the same period last year. The volume of overnight stays also increased by 6% compared to last year, and the number of Spanish visitors was 13% higher than in 2019, while the volume of overnight stays remained the same.

The occupancy rates in March were 53.7% by beds and 68% by rooms, representing a 6% increase compared to 2022 and similar or even higher than the pre-Covid era, when the occupancy rates were 54.2% and 67.3% by beds and rooms, respectively, in 2019.

Employment figures in the Malaga hotel sector have also improved, with 12,499 people employed in March 2023, compared to 11,888 people in March 2019. 

Finally, in terms of hotel prices, the turnover per occupied room at the average daily rate (ADR) in the province of Malaga in March was €94.90, slightly above the €85.4 euros of the previous year. The revenue per available room (RevPar) was €64.90, compared to €50.30 in March 2022, indicating an improvement in the profitability of the hotel sector.