Golf-linked tourism generated overall income to the tune of 400 million euros in Málaga last year.
It has been reported that golf-linked tourists show a higher purchasing power and spend more than regular visitors. According to a research carried out across the country, daily expenditure hits the 171 euros per day mark. These holidaymakers come mainly from the UK, Germany, northern Europe, Ireland and Central Europe
In 2012 up to 300,000 visitors were attracted to the Costa to test local courses and positive forecasts have been again drawn up for this year in spite of the current economic climate. Arturo Bernal, managing director for the Costa del Sol tourist partnership, reminds that for 2013 this platform is expecting a 4.5pc rise in the number of visitors.
Bernal also stresses that the golf industry is already capturing 10pc of the total output generated by tourism in the same area. The 400-million figure reached in 2012 becomes 900 million if direct financial impact is accounted for, acoording to data gathered by the partnership.
Resilience
The city of Málaga takes pride on having betted its stakes on this kind of tourism because it is particularly resilient in light of an economic recession, and because it contributes to ‘de-seasoning’ the vacational industry.
These holidaymakers come mainly from the UK, Germany, northern Europe, Ireland and Central Europe. In fact, 80pc of golf goers in Málaga are foreign visitors, while 20pc of them are Spanish nationals.
They will normally have 10-day stays, on average they travel with their couples and stay in hotels, which are preferably 4-starred lodgings where they stay in half board regime.
Quality over rates
The managing director points out that many players are being brought by tour operators, and hence many tourists as well, that ‘are not that focused on rates but on quality delivered’. Thus development plans for years to come have to have exclusivity as main priority.
In this sense, Bernal declares that they are winning ground to more affordable destinations, like Portugal or Turkey. Even though that is happening, Bernal also thank golf courts owners for keeping prices down although VAT rates have been pushed up by the Spanish government.
