Malaga fair kicks off with lower occupancy rate forecast for hotels and tourist accommodation

Malaga's big week begins this Friday, 15 August. As the fair starts, hotels and holiday homes expect lower occupancy. According to the association of hoteliers of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos), the forecast predicts 90% hotel occupancy in the city - two points lower than in 2024. Despite lower occupancy rates, revenue will remain high, as tourists are expected to have a higher expenditure. Aehcos poins out that the average gross impact per hosted guest (IBCA) reflects an increase of 23.09 euros with respect to the August fair of 2024, reaching 162.13 euros per guest.

Vice-president of Aehcos for Malaga city Francisco Moro assures that "the economic impact per tourist will help to attenuate the slight drop in hotel occupancy". He also encourages those who have not yet booked, saying that "there are still places available in the city". The hope is that last-minute bookings will change the initial forecast.

According to Aehcos, the forecast for 14 to 24 August expects a 2.26% decrease compared to the 2024 edition of the fair, when a total hotel occupancy rate of 92.17% was recorded. Moreover, last year's fair was nine nights, while this year, the event will last ten nights.

As usual, the long weekend, from Thursday, 14, to Sunday, 17, will see the highest peak in hotel occupancy, reaching 92.61%. "However, this is three points less than the first three days of the 2024 fair, when 95.6% was reached," said Moro. Bookings for the second weekend reach 88.48% - four points below the forecasts for the start of the fair, but one point higher than the occupancy rate recorded in the final stretch of the August fair last year.

Holiday rental 

This trend is replicated in the holiday rental sector, which is also experiencing a moderation in prices. According to the tourist housing association (AVVA-Pro), occupancy rates this year (70%), although slightly lower than last year's (73.7%), demonstrate that Malaga maintains strong demand.

In terms of rates, the average daily rate (ADR) has reached 212 euros, compared to 228 euros last year, reflecting a greater competitiveness in rates that has made it possible to attract a diverse public. This moderation in prices means that profitability, measured by the RevPAR indicator, which combines occupancy and price, will stand at 136 euros compared to 153 last year. "Although this figure is slightly lower, the data shows that the fair is still a period of great dynamism for the sector," AVVA-Pro says, highlighting the 12.2%, increase in the average stay, from 4.3 nights to 4.8 nights. "This indicates that more travellers are choosing to enjoy the fair and the city for practically a full week." With this, the average booking period has risen from 52 to 60 days, 15.6% more than the previous year, which indicates that visitors are planning ahead.

In contrast to the forecast so far, hotels in the city centre are expecting growth in occupancy rates during this fair season - 70% compared to 68.3% in 2024. The city centre is one of the most demanded areas, as it provides quick and easy access to the fair. This growth is accompanied by an increase in prices from 196 euros to 200 euros and an increase in the average stay of 5.6 %.

Director of the AC Málaga Palacio hotel Jorge González confirms that they will be full during the days of the fair, with prices very similar to those of last year. He expressed his satisfaction with the rates that accompany this year's fair, especially after a weaker start of the summer season.

Malaga Airport is already experiencing maximum traffic for this long weekend break in August. Data from Spanish airport operator Aena indicates that there will be a greater dynamism, seeing as airlines have scheduled more flights than last year. The 62 companies operating at this infrastructure have planned 2,350 aircraft movements - 49 more than in 2024. Of these, 1,870 flights will connect with cities outside Spain. The Costa del Sol currently offers non-stop flights to 157 airports around the world. The busiest day will be Sunday, 17 August, with 596 flights, followed by Friday, 15 August, with 593, of which 462 are international connections.

Eight cruise ships will dock at the port of Malaga during the days of the fair, with a combined capacity of more than 28,000 passengers. Once again, the busiest day will be Sunday 17, when 11,000 cruise passengers will coincide, as well as Tuesday 19, when 9,560 tourists are expected aboard two large ships.