Marbella hotels are suffering as a result of the tourism slump on the Costa del Sol

Tourism on the Costa del Sol is down this year. Hotels are not filling their rooms to the fullest. In some parts of Marbella, only a third of the rooms have been filled.

According to the latest figures released by the Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa del Sol, the average occupancy in the province of Malaga fell to 66.51% during February.

This is a decline of over five points when compared with the same month in last year’s report, which showed 71.56 percent occupancy.

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Marbella, a luxury resort in southern Spain, and Benahavis, a neighbouring town of the same name suffered the worst slump. They recorded a 39.03% occupancy last month.

Malaga and Rincon de la Victoria, which are the two most populous cities in the province, had a very successful February. They filled 81.02% (or 81,02%) of their hotel rooms.

The association noted a ‘contained’ demand from domestic holidaymakers, who made up just 28.64% of visitors, leaving the foreign tourists to prop up the local economy.

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Bookings for the Easter holiday are down sharply, with hoteliers blaming the chaos in the high-speed rail system connecting Malaga to Madrid.

AEHCOS projects an occupancy rate of 78.03 % for peak Easter dates, between April 2 to 6, a notable drop from the 83.22% reported in 2025.

The current state of the railway connection clearly influences the development of reservations, particularly in the domestic market which is a major factor in Easter, according to a hotel group spokesperson.

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They said that whereas last year’s weather was poor, the current outlook is favorable, proving the slump is linked to the transportation infrastructure and not the climate.

The area of Benahavis and Marbella, which has been struggling, is expected to rebound to lead the province in occupancy for Easter with an estimated 86%.

The association warned that connectivity is a ‘strategic element’ for the Costa del Sol and that the current train crisis is having an immediate and damaging effect on the tourism industry.

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