Costa del Sol targets longer UK stays with €1.5M push at WTM London

Turismo Costa del Sol is using World Travel Market London 2026 to court higher-value British visitors, even as UK airline capacity to Málaga is expected to fall 5% over the next winter season. The destination still expects nearly 3.3 million British tourists in 2026 and €4.629 billion in revenue.

Why it matters: - The UK is Costa del Sol’s biggest international hotel source market, and the destination wants to protect that position while shifting from volume to higher spending and longer stays. - Air seat forecasts point to tighter capacity from the UK, making yield and season extension more important for local tourism revenue and jobs. - Turismo Costa del Sol expects the UK market to generate €4.629 billion in tourism revenue in 2026.

What happened: - Turismo Costa del Sol opened its participation in World Travel Market London 2026 with a strategy focused on improving the quality of tourism from the UK. - The organisation is investing €1.5 million in the UK market, including €1 million for its WTM presence and an advertising campaign across London. - Francisco Salado, president of Turismo Costa del Sol and Málaga Provincial Council, said the goal is to attract visitors who stay longer and spend more.

The details: - Between October 2026 and March 2027, 1,296,799 airline seats are scheduled from the UK to the destination, a 5% decline year over year. - The province has air connections with 18 UK cities served by eight airlines. - Turismo Costa del Sol expects almost 3.3 million British tourists in 2026, up 2.8% from 2025. - The organization also forecasts a 0.44% increase in UK-generated tourism revenue year over year. - From January through September, Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport logged 2,526,009 passenger arrivals from the UK, up 4% from the same period last year. - Those arrivals represented 82.7% of all UK passengers using Andalusia’s airports. - Hotels on the Costa del Sol recorded 904,241 British guests, up 3.6%, and 4,496,347 overnight stays, up 3.1%. - The UK remains the destination’s leading international source market for hotel accommodation. - Turismo Costa del Sol’s WTM setup includes a 250-square-metre stand, 120 co-exhibitors and a food and drink area featuring products from Sabor a Málaga. - The business agenda includes more than 30 confirmed meetings with travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, tourism stakeholders, technology companies and specialist media. - Salado said the destination wants to push year-round tourism and promote culture, nature, gastronomy, golf, sport and wellness alongside sun-and-beach travel.

Between the lines: - The strategy reflects a classic mature-market response: if seat capacity softens, the destination tries to raise value per visitor instead of chasing sheer arrivals. - The emphasis on year-round demand also signals a bid to smooth out seasonality and support more stable employment across the province. - The UK market still looks resilient, but the air-service outlook suggests growth may depend more on spend and length of stay than on faster visitor growth.

What's next: - Turismo Costa del Sol will use WTM London meetings to deepen commercial ties with airlines, agencies and tour operators. - The destination will continue promoting off-season travel and its broader tourism offer to keep British demand steady through 2026 and beyond. - The province will watch whether lower air capacity affects arrivals, average spend or overnight stays in the coming months.

The bottom line: - Costa del Sol is betting that fewer seats does not have to mean weaker results if British visitors stay longer, travel year-round and spend more.**