WITH bargain flights and a port at its doorstep, it is no wonder Malaga City has become the destination of choice for thousands of tourists.
With 422,691 passengers, Malaga Airport was the nation’s second favourite airport for low-cost airlines last month, beaten only by Palma de Mallorca and ahead ofBarcelona.
In September 2010, 3.43 million passengers used low-cost airlines to travel to and from Spain, 10.1 per cent more than in September 2009.
Low-cost airline passengers accounted for 58 per cent of the 5.9 million people who used Spanish airports in September, with the main airlines being Ryanair, EasyJet and Air Berlin. More than 61 per cent of all the passengers were from the UK and Germany.
Meanwhile, Malaga Port has also seen the number of cruise ship passengers rise to more than half a million so far this year.
It is hoped that by 2012, more than 1 million cruise ship passengers will visit Malaga.
Predictions have come true after 2009 saw a total of 488,108 passengers and this year was expected to break the 500,000 barrier. By December, 680,000 passengers are expected to have visited the port and estimated to have spent some €28m.
The main companies operating from Malaga are Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Pullmantur, Iberocrucers and Seabourn. By the end of this year, 13 ships will have docked in Malaga Port for the first time.
From 2012, some 15,000 passengers could disembark in Malaga on any given day.
