Living on the costa

The Marbella merchants and hoteliers anticipate a favorable low season after accumulating months with negative results due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a take off of the autumn that is exceeding the expectations marked, and even reached figures similar or close to those of 2019.

The president of the Association of merchants and hoteliers of Marbella, Nahuel Klappenbach, has indicated that the entry of autumn “is being very good, better than that of 2019”, something that he attributed to the fact that “Ireland opens on September 15” and that “in October the arrival of the English is beginning to be noticed”After the opening of the United Kingdom.

The commercial representative has valued that “the people who were scared to travel are coming now “ between March and May of this year, residents or those who prefer to move outside the high season, which is why “It is being a totally atypical year.”

Thus, the envelope All Saints Bridge has indicated that “it has been very good”, but not only this holiday, but “the entire month of October”, highlighting the presence of an international audience European from “Ireland, United Kingdom, Holland, France, or Scandinavia, and even American.”

Klappenbach has pointed out that this starter “suggests that the offseason is going to be good”, although he has underlined the “changing state” that marks the coronavirus pandemic; as well as has highlighted that “tourism is recovering a lot ”.

For this reason, it has valued that “for now “there are signs of economic recovery, to which has been added the existence of “many European aid to reduce loans and others”, emphasizing that “I think we will get to rebuild ourselves“, For which he advocated that” continue working on not hindering trade and the hotel industry as is being done so far. “

The passage of the region at risk level 0 for Covid-19 has been welcomed by the sector “with joy”, noting that the measure “is important for the changes it entails and the image it gives”And by the end of the capacity limitation, which“ is less of a headache for us ”.

The president of the Association of Small and Medium-sized Companies of Marbella (APYMEM), Enrique Guerrero, has pointed out that in September there has been “a high occupancy in hotels and shops have worked well”, October “has not gone bad” and November “is not behaving badly either”, which is why he stressed that “the data are positive compared to 2019 ”. Even so, he recalled that at the end of this month the local economy “decreases” until February -except in the period of Christmas shopping-, due to the “Deep valley” with low consumption and influx of tourists what generates the service sector industry on which the city depends.

Likewise, it has pointed out that “a significant rise in European visitors has been noted who have not come during the summer and have appeared in September and October“As” English or German “, a presence that” has been noticed above all in restaurants and hotels. “

Guerrero stressed that the end of the restrictions in the region “is good news” with which “companies have more freedom to occupy more space ”, mainly in the hospitality industry, both on the terraces and indoors; and it has been reflected in that “People have come out with more confidence again.”

In this way, the president of APYMEN has opted for hold events that help combat seasonality tourism that the destination suffers during the low season, such as the Ruta de la tapa that the association is going to organize, since “the offer is closely linked to the tourist issue and seasonally”. In addition, he has advocated creating “an alternative production system“As a technology park so that the city” is not so dependent on tourism. “

On economic recovery, has estimated that “it will depend on the evolution of Covid-19 and not only from Spain “, but” external circumstances “linked to countries that send tourists such as the United Kingdom or Germany will influence, for which he has opined that” if the economy continues to rebound in those countries, the tourism will move forward and we will even exceed the figures of 2018 or 2019 ”.

The president of the Center for Tourism Initiatives (CIT) of Marbella, Juan José González, has shown that “autumn is running through some riverbeds, as it happened in summer, higher than expected in terms of hotel occupancy “, noting that” it is being noticed that the English market has reappeared and some Englishmen have flown for a few days to come. ” Thus, he has remarked that “so far the forecasts have been exceeded ” so far this season and has indicated that “the month of October has been very satisfactory” in hotels with levels “between 65 and in some cases up to 90 or 92 percent.”

Likewise, González has added that the Puente de Todos los Santos “has not been an exception and the Spanish market together with the foreign market, which has also been encouraged, have made us perceive a city full, with many people and full of life “, for which “the results have been very positive with very high hotel occupancies and with very flattering billings from both the hotel and trade industry.”

In this way, the business representative stressed that despite the fact that “it is difficult to know what is going to happen in the coming months”, hopes that “the forecasts are exceeded, especially since the pandemic has made people want and be willing to travel. At this point, he stressed that aspects such as climate and possibility of traveling to the Constitution Bridge or Christmas they will mark the local economic activity, while he has recalled the “last minute” trend of tourist reservations, which “is causing expectations to be exceeded.”

The president of CIT Marbella has stated that “Tourism is in recovery because the entire economy is recovering globally”, highlighting that from the collective “we see an obvious recovery from what it was last year and already this year in some data approaching the 2019 figures, which were especially excellent in Marbella ”, which has highlighted the“ great potential ”of the city and the province.

The representative of the Malaga Hoteliers Association (Mahos) in Marbella, Luis Quiroga, highlighted that the start of the offseason “is still good compared to 2019”, since with respect to 2020 it would be “spectacular”; assessing that “it is seen that people are now spending the money that was not spent.” In this sense, he has indicated that currently the sector registers “higher figures” than in pre-pandemic periods, ensuring that “there is a greater number of people and more turnover.”

The hotelier has attributed this behavior to the fact that “the people want to have fun and have been very touched with a year of limitations and needs to return to his life and enjoy normal things “, as he has pointed to a”higher spending capacity”Due to the savings generated during the pandemic, mainly from the“ foreign ”public.

In this way, Quiroga has indicated that the The passage of the Costa del Sol to risk level 0 due to Covid-19 has been “the trigger”, since when “limitations disappear people have been fully encouraged, and even dangerously, and it already acts that way and it is something that we would have to rethink ”, he stressed.

The forecasts for the Marbella hospitality sector thus point to optimism, and “there is a feeling that we are going back to the time before the pandemic and that euphoria of October, September and summer is relaxing“, The representative of Mahos in the city has influenced unless” something strange happens “in relation to the health crisis.

Quiroga has stated that “we are already in recovery” and “there are already figures prior to Covid-19 and we are practically recovered, at least in the hospitality business ”, added the business representative.

The president of the San Pedro de Alcántara Small and Medium Business Association (APYMESPA), Ana García, has indicated that “we are having a good start of fall because this opening of borders is very noticeable at the level of Marbella and San Pedro and that traffic of foreigners that we had not had for months, now it has been noticed”.

Thus, the business representative has valued that the forecasts for the low season are “good”, highlighting the events that are planned for the months of November and December to combat seasonality, such as gastronomic events or Christmas lighting. “Even after Reyes we find good forecasts, and we see that little by little tourism is recovering as the borders open ”, he indicated.

The end of the limitations “has been translated mainly at the time of events, that the capacity can be 100% and that has been very positive “, has highlighted García, who like other associations has ensured that there are signs of economic recovery, with “an autumn with a lot of hotel occupancy.” At the same time, it has pointed to the need to improve communication by land on the Mediterranean Highway and the beaches.