Media Pack Turismo y Planificación Costa del Sol Plaza de la Marina 4, 4ª Planta E Málaga. Telephone No Fax:

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2 Turismo y Planificación Costa del Sol Plaza de la Marina 4, 4ª Planta E Málaga Telephone No Fax: infor@costadelsol.travel 2

3 This media pack provides a summarised manual of tourist and institutional information by Turismo y Planificación Costa del Sol that provides a general overview of our province and all we have to offer. The document includes different information to ensure queries can be answered as extensively as possible. An initial part includes information on the most important data and projects by Turismo y Planificación for 2016 and forecasts for Another section provides itemised information on different segments of tourism and we explain new attractions that have been set up and provide a summary of those currently at the design stage. We also offer a list of all of the components included in our offer, confident that it is this very offer that has turned us into world leader in terms of tourist destinations, and we offer details on certain tourist products, such as golf, leisure, congresses, and languages, etc. Along these lines, please visit our website web where you will find more in-depth information in different languages. We also have a collection of high-resolution photographs (over eight thousand) that can be used by the news media once the corresponding password has been requested. 3

4 The Costa del Sol ends another year with the best tourism indicators in its history The arrival of tourists grew by 10.3% to stand at 12 million, with 26 million overnight stays The data represents an impact of 11.1 million euros and is reflected in jobs, with an 8.2% growth in employment 2016 is drawing to an end and, once again, the Costa del Sol has beaten its own record in terms of tourism statistics. The destination will end the year with the best indicators in its history, standing at 12 million tourists, 26 million overnight stages and an economic impact of 11.1 million euros. 4

5 Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport exceeded 16 million passengers last year Both the foreign and domestic markets maintained a strong growth rate during 2016, with peaks of 16.4% and 11.7% The United States, Canada, Portugal and the Central and Eastern European countries were among the international destinations with the greatest increase in the number of travellers 912,569 passengers passed through the airport in December, a 21% increase Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport exceeded the 16 million-passenger mark last year, thanks to the growth rate of both the foreign and domestic markets. The precise figure stood at 16,672,776, which is 15.7% up on

6 The best summer holidays in history The Costa del Sol ended the best summer holidays in its history, with the arrival of 6,770,000 tourists, 6.5% more than in These results represent an economic impact of 6,746 million euros, which is a 5.8% growth in relation to the same period of the previous year. In addition to this, the revenues generated by tourist expenditure over the summer months, a variable that had not been estimated to date and that accounts for 8,569 million euros. 6

7 The Costa del Sol expects the welcome three million UK travellers in saw 2.7 million passengers and overnight stays by over one million British visitors in official establishments in the province of Málaga The number of flight tickets offered in the United Kingdom is to exceed the one-million mark, which is 29% higher than in the same period of the previous year The British market consolidated its extraordinary figures on the Costa del Sol and the airport ended 2016 having welcomed over 2,700,000 passengers from the United Kingdom. 7

8 The Costa del Sol has among the most highly-valued hotel facilities A study on hotel profitability gives it a score of 8.17 out of 10 The one and five-star hotels receive the highest score, notably for their personnel and cleanness The existence of a satisfactory range of hotels is key to a destination's tourism development. The case of the Costa del Sol is one of these examples, according to a hotel profitability study performed by the Tourism Analysis and Intelligence department at Turismo Costa del Sol, using data from October

9 The Port of Málaga records intense cruise ship activity during 2016: 442,500 passengers on board 253 ships The Port Authority foresees a significant increase during the forthcoming year The Port of Málaga foresees very positive year-end results for cruise traffic. By the end of 2016, a total of 442,500 passengers had arrived the port facilities on board 253 cruise ships, which is an increase of 5.7% and 8.6%, respectively, in comparison with the previous year. 9

10 Torremolinos faces the year with an ambitious hotel investment project supported by good occupancy and employment data from the tourism sector With construction work underway in three establishments and over 100 million in investment place it as one of the most significantly revitalising destinations, after Málaga. During the last quarter of 2016, the municipality recorded 37.88% more contracts signed in the tourism sector in comparison with the same period of 2015 Torremolinos not only secured its indisputable leadership as the top destination on the Costa del Sol and in Andalusia in 2016, with almost one million visitors and five million overnight stays, but it faces the most significant reconversion and modernisation of its hotels of recent decades, with construction work underway in 13 establishments and over 100 million in investment. This investment is also supported by data obtained from the Tourism Sector Employment Market, where a 37.88% increase in comparison with the same period of 2015 was recorded over the last quarter of the year - October, November and December- with a total of 2,333 contracts in relation to the 1,692 recorded over that same period in 2015, according to data from the Andalusian Institute of Statistics. 10

11 "El Caminito del Rey" (The King's Little Pathway) obtains the Plaque for Merit in Tourism for up-and-coming destinations El Caminito del Rey wins the three most important heritage awards in the EU at the Europa Nostra gala Restoration of the pathway won the Grand Prix award and the public choice award during the award presentation ceremony held at La Zarzuela Theatre in Madrid Restoration of El Caminito del Rey continues to win awards. It gained triple recognition in May in Madrid. During the European Union Europa Nostra Cultural Heritage Awards ceremony, the work performed by Málaga Provincial Council not only won this prestigious award but also obtained the Grand Prix award from experts and the public choice award. This triple recognition now joins two other awards already received: the Plaque for Merit in Tourism in Up-and-Coming Destinations and the award presented in the Urban development: countryside and city category at the 13th Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism. 11

12 Rural tourism, great revelation of the Costa del Sol as a destination, increasing its figures by around one third in a year Overnight stays are close to 400,000 so far in 2016 Equilibrium between domestic and international markets in terms of travellers Rural tourism has secured its place as the definitive revelation of the province of Málaga in At least this is what tourism indicators show, giving excellent growth data from January to October in comparison with the same period of the previous year. According to data held by Turismo Costa del Sol, a total of 388,014 overnight stays were recorded between January and October 2016, which is 117,619 more than in the same period of

13 The Costa del Sol, top European destination in Golf Tourism Its 74 courses and its mild weather attract hundreds of thousands of golfers every year. The Costa del Sol is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe for many reasons: its weather, its beaches, its countryside, its hotels, its extensive range of leisure activities, its good air and land connections, its marinas, its history, its cultural and artistic heritage, the friendliness of its locals, its delicious cuisine... and, of course, its golf. Enjoying sun and golf on the Costa del Sol is possible all year round, which is something that cannot be said of the countries of origin of the millions of golfers who live in the centre and north of the continent. Andalusia is the Spanish region with most golf courses (almost 120), and the Costa del Sol, along the coastal strip running from Nerja to Sotogrande, has 74, including the one repeatedly chosen as the best on the continent, Valderrama, and several others classed as among the best in Europe. 13

14 Recycled water used in most golf courses in the west of the Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol is not only the top golf destination in Europe and the Mediterranean, but it also keeps its commitment towards the sustainable development of the tourist industry. One factor that has great impact on respect for the environment involves golf course irrigation using recycled water. At present, most of the facilities on the western coastline of the province water their courses using purified water supplied by Acosol, a company belonging to the Western Costa del Sol Town Council Association formed by 11 towns located along a strip of almost 100 kilometres (Benahavís, Benalmádena, Casares, Estepona, Fuengirola, Istán, Manilva, Mijas, Marbella, Ojén and Torremolinos). 14

15 Golfing enthusiasts are given a new view of the 70-plus courses in the destination through the 360 project A key project in promoting the destination in general and, more specifically, its golf courses is the 360 project, an initiative that offers a brand new way of discovering the destination through new technologies. The Costa del Sol 360 project is a visual tool that offers a insight into the destination from another viewpoint, a pioneering way of visiting the 70-plus courses forming the range on offer and discovering their facilities, infrastructures, and the difficulty or design of each hole by way of a virtual walk. Over one hundred and fifty 360º high-resolution images with 1.5 terabytes of contents make this a possibility from any device or from the Turismo Costa del Sol internet platform. In short, an attraction for potential tourists who can travel freely through images or go on an interactive tour to discover the destination. 15

16 The Costa del Sol strengthens its position as an area of expansion in ladies' golf The golf segment will grow by 4% this year and general tourism by between 9 and 10% The Costa del Golf remains an essential destination for international golf. The Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino was the top event for the ladies' segment of the sport. Around one in every four professional golfers is a woman. More specifically, there are over 80,000 ladies' licences in Spain, of which 12,151 are from Andalusia: this accounts for 29.5% and 27.7% of the national and regional total, respectively. The Costa del Sol plays a very significant role as the headquarters for ladies' golfing competitions. 62% of all ladies' events ever held in Andalusia have taken place in one of the 70-pus courses of the Costa del Golf. 16

17 The Parador de Málaga Golf: 90 years of history for the senior member of the province The origins of the course arose as a way of 'distracting' the mother of Queen Victoria Eugenia, but also to promote British tourism Golf in Málaga, and more specifically on the Costa del Sol, forms an essential part of the history of the province in the 20th century and has continued to do so during the first fifteen years of the 21st century. However, of the dozens of courses where the sport can be played, the Parador de Golf - located in the municipality of Málaga-, is the senior member of them all. In 2016, the course celebrated 90 years since its design, making it a reference for the entire Costa del Golf. 17

18 The Costa del Sol creates its sports tourism brand to combine all professional initiatives and establish itself as a top destination A total of 126 teams spent the 2015 pre-season in our province, including FC Basel, Dynamo Kyiv, Mainz 05, Feyennord, Guanghou and Evergrande The new Sport Destination segment joins the diversification strategy of the destination's range of tourist activities Turismo Costa del Sol starts the new Sport Destination segment, another step forwards on its path towards offering products and services adapted to all tourism interests. This new brand seeks to promote the combined efforts of public initiative and private companies to favour this segment, says the president of Turismo Costa del Sol, Elías Bendodo. In fact, the province has great potential, especially in terms of the king of sports, football. Little wonder a total of 126 teams spent the 2015 pre-season in our province, including FC Basel, Dynamo Kyiv, Mainz 05, Feyennord, Guanghou and Evergrande 18

19 Turismo Costa del Sol and sportspeople from Málaga celebrate a year of success and come together to promote the destination Carolina Navarro (padel tennis), Rubén Ruzafa (triathlon) and Borja Vivas (shot put), ambassadors of the province of Málaga through their disciplines Sportspeople from Málaga, such as Carolina Navarro, Rubén Ruzafa and Borja Vivas, together with Turismo Costa del Sol celebrated the successes of the year that is coming to an end and announced a joint roadmap to promote the destination. The president of Turismo Costa del Sol, Elías Bendodo, stated that with them, we are starting to draw up a joint roadmap through different sponsorships so that, through their different sports, these sportspeople who are already ambassadors of the Costa del Sol outside our borders can help promote the destination both at home and abroad. 19

20 Over 4,800 football players worldwide are to take their winter break on the Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol takes its Sport Destination sports tourism brand to important international football clubs The economic impact on the province will stand at almost 6.5 million euros from January to March 2017 The main teams in Europe and in the world are coming to the Costa del Sol for their pre-season training. These were the words of the president of the Provincial Council of Málaga and of the company Turismo Costa del Sol, Elías Bendodo. Sport Destination now seeks to strengthen the sub-segment of football. Thanks to collaboration from the Provincial Council of Málaga and Football Impact, over 4,800 football players will train and play against other clubs at the sports facilities available in the municipalities of the Costa del Sol between January and March, which will have an economic impact of almost 6.5 million euros. 20

21 The Costa del Sol is to host the world executive on Life Saving and Rescue in 2017 The International Life Saving Federation (ILS) and the European Federation (ILSE) are to define their strategic plan for life saving and rescue in Málaga ILS chose the Costa del Sol after defending the candidacy put forward by Elías Bendodo in Eindhoven (Holland) together with representatives from the Spanish Royal Life Saving and Rescue Federation (RFESS) These events will serve to raise global awareness in terms of life saving and rescue after a summer of many incidents on our coasts The Costa del Sol is to be the world capital of life saving and rescue in 2017 when it hosts two forums in which the European and world federations are to approve their strategic plans for the forthcoming years. Between these activities and the International Congress on Drowning Prevention in 2018, the Costa del Sol will welcome 9,000 specialists in a four-year period, which will have an economic impact of 23 million euros on the destination. 21

22 The Costa del Sol, a world reference in shopping tourism You do not have to be a compulsive shopper or a wasteful spender to succumb to the vast range of shops that set the Costa del Sol apart as a top world destination in shopping tourism. With over thirty shopping centres, estates and department stores throughout the province, and endless shops selling items ranging from traditional craft products or the most exclusive items by prestigious international brands, Málaga offers visitors the chance of getting lost among a melting-pot of establishments able to respond to the most diverse demands, maintaining a price-quality ratio that, without a doubt, pleasantly surprises locals and foreigners alike. It is no wonder that the retail trade has been one of the major sectors of the Costa del Sol economy for several decades, and its activity has become an added value for the tourist industry to such a point that it is now a powerful attraction for travellers who see shopping as an undeniable activity during their holidays. 22

23 Málaga cuisine Traditional Málaga cuisine, with its simple ingredients and very rich variety of dishes, has gone from being an important complement to the range of tourism available in the province to a tourist attraction in itself. The so-called Mediterranean diet that is so fashionable at present has always been the raison d'être of a type of cuisine that, as well as being healthy and varied, is made up of top quality ingredients that are harmoniously balanced to tickle the taste buds. Vegetables, fruit, meat and, above all, fish have enabled Málaga cuisine to reached what were until recently unimaginable levels. Olive oil is an essential element in the Mediterranean diet and, as a result, of Málaga cuisine. The farms from the Valle del Guadalhorce, the subtropical crops from the Axarquía region or the meat products from the Serranía de Ronda make all of this possible. Without a doubt, seafood form the key players in Málaga cuisine and, within the extensive range from the bay of Málaga, the true king is the boquerón victoriano (an anchovy from Rincón de la Victoria). The anchovy forms part of the so-called fritura malagueña (fried Málaga fish and seafood), which also includes red mullet, horse mackerel, baby squid and other fish. 23

24 Málaga and Sierras de Málaga wines, on the rise The province has gone from the nine wineries open in 1999 to multiply this number by four For several years now, the traditional sweet Málaga wines that made the province famous before the tourism boom and that the Arabs called charab al malaquí (syrup of Málaga), which were exported to the Vatican and delighted the Czars of Imperial Russia, are no longer alone. Seven years ago Málaga Virgen, one of the best-known wine firms, launched four new products that are a far cry from the classic sweet Málaga wines. These include red and rosé wines and even vinegars, as well as its designer line of very high-quality vintages in bottles made to the match the taste of the gourmet. As in the case of the aforementioned firm, most Málaga wineries these days have launched new products or are on the verge of doing so, clear proof of the dynamic nature of the wine-producing industry in Málaga. The number of wineries continues to grow and a number of them also serve as a tourist attraction. There are already 32 listed with the aforementioned Regulatory Council under the Málaga and Sierras de Málaga appellations of origin. 24

25 Málaga, Antequera and Ronda attract travellers with cultural interests The municipalities of Málaga, Antequera and Ronda attract visitors to our province with cultural interests. It is no wonder, as these three municipalities are home to 80% of the province's artistic heritage. Málaga, Antequera and Ronda are three cities in the province that are dozens of kilometres apart and have each been a more than interesting tourist destination for years now. Despite each one hiding a very attractive range of tourist activities, the three as a whole form an almost irresistible pack, especially for tourists seeking something more than sun and sand, travellers looking for culture, art and tradition. 25

26 2016 is the best year of tourism for the city of Málaga, which establishes itself as one of the major destinations in Spain Last year, the city broke its historic records and ended the year with over 1.2 million travellers in accommodation, more than 2.3 million overnight stays and 78% occupancy. The increases recorded from Lithuania, the Ukraine, the Netherlands, Poland, Argentina, Denmark, Portugal, Turkey and the USA are especially noteworthy, as well as the strengthening of the United Kingdom as the top international outbound market In terms of tourism, 2016 was a historic year for the city of Málaga. In fact, according to all indicators analysed, the capital city became one the major urban destinations in Spain last year. What is more, the city reached the best figures on record in most parameters (number of visitors, overnight stays, average length of stay and degree of occupancy). 26

27 Museum of Málaga Inaugurated at the end of last year, the Museum of Málaga houses the collections of two distinguished museums from Málaga, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Provincial Archaeological Museum, and has over 15,000 references in archaeology and an extensive collection of 2,000 pieces of artwork from the 19th and 20th century. It is the fifth largest museum in Spain and the largest in Andalusia. The museum headquarters are at the "Palacio de la Aduana" (Customs Palace), designed in This neoclassical style building was inspired by the palaces of the Italian Renaissance, with four bays around a porticoed central patio. As well as a customs house, it has been the headquarters of the Royal Tobacco Factory and Government Deputy Delegate office in the Province. The museum has a wonderful Fine Arts section, which includes canvases and sculptures by great artists such as Luis de Morales, Luca Giordano, Murillo, Antonio del Castillo, Alonso Cano, Ribera, Velázquez, Vicente Carducho, Goya, Pedro de Mena and Zurbarán. 27

28 The Gran Hotel Miramar opens its doors at the end of December The Gran Hotel Miramar opens its doors at the start of The opening day was reserved for the professionals who had taken part in the refurbishment, almost one century later, of this architectural gem from the late twenties, work of the architect from Málaga, Fernando Guerrero Strachan. With an investment of 65 million euros by the Hoteles Santos chain, the project by the Estudio Seguí Arquitectura y Planeamiento, headed by José Seguí, is to turn this property back into a hotel after its time as the city's Courthouse. The heart of the Gran Hotel Miramar, which was a meeting place for civil society in Málaga and witness to its most important social events during the first half of the 20th century, beats with the seal of nobility and stateliness that was enjoyed by celebrities such as Ava Gardner, Antonio 'El Bailarín', Ruth Roman or Rita Hayworth herself, among many other celebrities in culture and art. 28

29 Tourists and visitors can now access the city's main tourist attractions with the Málaga Pass card This passport provides access to cultural resources and monuments at a lower price, with discounts in shops, restaurants and hotels The start-up of this card forms part of the inaugural agreements reached last year by the municipal PP and Ciudadanos parties The new Málaga Pass card was presented to the city's tourism sector in mid July. This tourist passport, which is now fully operational, will provide visitors with access the city's cultural and leisure attractions over a limited period. Furthermore, this card also offers significant discounts in businesses, restaurants, shops and hotels. The Málaga Pass is also included in the Málaga Strategic Tourism Plan

30 Bacon, Freud and surrealist women are the stars of the programme of exhibitions for 2017 in the Picasso Museum The Bacon, Freud and School of London exhibitions in collaboration with the Tate and "Somos plenamente libres" (We are Completely Free). Women artists and surrealism form the proposed exhibition in the art museum for As is commonplace in the Picasso Museum Málaga, each of the exhibitions programmed for 2017 will include its own programme of cultural activities that give an insight in the main artistic and historic issues discussed in it. 30

31 More than 55,000 visitors at the Málaga Interactive Museum of Music in 2016, which consolidates its educational programme and its range of leisure activities The MIMMA continues to grow at its new headquarters in the Palacio del Conde las Navas, in the heart of the historic centre, with over 15,000 visits by schoolchildren, the growing fame of the Ivan Galamian International Music Academy and more than 200 activities a year Málaga, January Málaga has become a cultural tourist destination over recent years, a deep change in which the Málaga Interactive Museum of Music has played a leading role since it was founded in Since the opening of its new headquarters at the Palacio del Conde las Navas, in the heart of the city's historic centre, the MIMMA has strengthened its position as one of the most active museums in Málaga with more than 55,000 visits in The MIMMA houses a collection of over 400 musical instruments under the slogan 'Se ruega toca - Please play', indicating the different nature of this museum. Interaction is key to the museum's rhetoric, which uses new technologies and that includes the advanced Living Lab as a space for experimentation. 31

32 The Automobile and Fashion Museum, a journey through the evolution of art since the 19th century Málaga has become the most dynamic city on the current Spanish cultural scene. The Automobile and Fashion Museum offers a journey through the evolution of art since the 19th century, formed by a collection of almost one hundred exclusive and unknown vehicles restored to the highest level, Contemporary Art facilities and an extraordinary series of haute couture fashion exhibitions in its 6000 square metres of exhibition space. The structuring of the museum rhetoric, enhanced with a total of thirteen thematic rooms and a new concept where the automobile is shown as a work of art, provides great added value. It is one of the largest private automobile and fashion collections in the world. 32

33 FYCMA, setting in 2017 for major sciencemedical congresses and four new trade fairs The "Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga" (Málaga Trade Fair and Congress Centre) (Fycma) starts 2017 as one of the most relevant trade fair and congress centres in Spain, according to its activity figures and calendar for the upcoming year. The evolution and dynamics of its programme, in response to the tastes and demands of its audience, confirm the centre's active role in the organising of events. In terms of trade fairs, Fycma is including four new events. 33

34 Selwo Aventura, Selwo Marina and Teleférico Benalmádena offer the fullest range of leisure activities on the Costa del Sol The three leisure sites begin their 2017 season on Friday, 17th February. SELWO AVENTURA, located in Estepona, is a unique park where fauna, nature and adventure play a starring role. It offers visitors the chance to go one a great expedition around different lands, taking them to Africa to learn about its most emblematic species, such as the lion, the giraffe, the hippopotamus, the lemur, the leopard, and different antelopes, etc. Species from other continents are also present, such as the Iberian lynx, the Asian elephant or the red panda. With proposals aimed at offering an insight into and learning to respect our fauna to meet three key goals: discover, learn and have fun. SELWO MARINA, located in Benalmádena, is a brand new concept of park that enables visitors to stand very close to different representative species of the world's fauna. All of its proposals are aimed at providing an insight into and learning to respect the different species of the world's fauna to meet three key goals: discover, learn and have fun. TELEFÉRICO BENALMÁDENA offers a spectacular trip in comfortable, modern cable-cars, each holding four people, on a route that connects the coast of Benalmádena with the peak of Mount Calamorro, one of the highest parts of the Costa del Sol at an altitude of almost 800 metres above sea level where, as well as its exclusive countryside, visitors can enjoy a full range of activities suitable for all ages. 34

35 BIOPARC Fuengirola forms part of one of the best experiences to be had on the Costa del Sol Located in the centre of Fuengirola, it consists of a well looked after, meticulous recreation of some of the most threatened tropical forests in the world, where you can discover and learn about over 200 species. Most of these species are endangered or are likely to become endangered, and they form part of international reproduction and preservation programmes in which the BIOPARC has actively cooperated since it opened in

36 Endless leisure possibilities on the Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol has a wide variety of leisure parks where children and adults can come into contact with animals, almost magical attractions and adventures. The Costa del Sol has one of the widest ranges of leisure activities in all of Spain and for all types of visitor. Proof of this are the many different projects that start each year and that are providing the province with endless possibilities for entertainment. The significance of the range of holiday and leisure activities in the destination of Málaga-Costa del Sol and, above all, the unquestionably large demand for this range form the mainstay of the tourist industry in the province of Málaga and, in fact in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia. 36

37 The Costa del Sol is able to attract more tourists thanks to the development of new 360º digital contents on its website Tourist information from the internet plays a decisive role for 83% of all leisure tourists and for 76% of business travellers Turismo y Planificación Costa del Sol continues to create new proposals to attract visitors. Through a powerful inbound marketing strategy, the digital portal seeks to seduce tourists by explaining the diversity of the destination in all of its segments and offers. Digital platforms are gaining more and more specific significance in the decision-making process of different visitors. According to studies and reports generated by Google, the largest internet search engine, 83% of all those travelling for leisure and 76% of all business travellers are inspired by and find information on the internet before deciding on their next destination. The 360º contents developed over recent months are proof of a visitor attraction system with high motivational potential. They can be seen at and, more specifically and classed by subject matter, in: resources ( Golf ( Holy Week ( Holy Week 360 video and virtual reality ( and Nautical ( 37

38 52 percent of all tourists choose sustainable destinations for their holidays, according to booking.com Experts explain Efficient Building Rehabilitation at conferences organised by ANERR in collaboration with Turismo Costa del Sol Experts have explained the efficient rehabilitation of homes at informative conferences held for locals and businesses from Málaga and the Province on the benefits and aid for comprehensive refurbishment of private and public residential and tertiary buildings to improve their habitability, accessibility and state of preservation, at the headquarters of the Provincial Council of Málaga in Plaza de la Marina ( According to a study performed by Booking.com, 52% of all tourists worldwide indicate that in 2015 they would like to choose a sustainable destination for their holidays, in comparison with just ten percent who made this same statement only one year beforehand. An increasing number of tourists state that, when choosing a holiday destination, they seek to reduce environmental impact without losing out on creature comforts on their trip and during their holidays and that their tourist activity should have a positive impact on the local community. 38

39 The Costa del Sol maintains its aim to adapt to suit its potential visitors through Business Intelligence The destination is a benchmark in the use of digital strategies applied to tourism All sides of the Costa del Sol can be seen in the digital world. The powerful Business Intelligence strategy promoted by Turismo y Planificación Costa del Sol doubtlessly has an affect on the decision-making process of potential tourists. The Costa del Sol therefore maintains and strengthens this goal. The digital evolution and the generalised use of the internet have changed the world. At present, anyone with a mobile device in their hand can generate mass information. This means highlighting projects such as Costa del Sol Business Intelligence on which Turismo y Planificación Costa del Sol is currently working: a technological tool that integrates with sources of national and international online and offline information. 39

40 Ten companies are to benefit from the Costa del Sol Tourism Hub, created to encourage the creation and development of tourism projects Up to 36 applications have been received to join this programme promoted by Turismo Costa del Sol, and that will last until 30th April As of 10th January, Turismo y Planificación Costa del Sol is starting the Costa del Sol Tourism Hub: a programme for the creation and development of tourism companies to promote and support the talent and experience in tourist management of the Costa del Sol destination. The goal: to encourage the creation, attraction and installation of innovative companies related to the tourist sector on the Costa del Sol. A total of 36 companies have applied to benefit from this first year of the programme, from which ten have been selected. The programme is to begin on Tuesday 10th January and will end on 30th April. In order to develop the programme, these ten companies will be given physical space on the third floor of the Provincial Council building at Plaza de la Marina, in the same location as Turismo y Planificación Costa del Sol. 40

41 For further information on any of the items of news included in this Media Pack, please contact 41