Marbella is experiencing an extraordinary surge in popularity among American tourists, with a remarkable 20% increase in visits compared to last year. This growing trend highlights the city’s rising appeal as a luxury destination, driven by world-class amenities, direct flights from the U.S., and high-profile events like the Solheim Cup Golf. Alongside this influx, Marbella has shattered tourism and employment records in 2024, with historic hotel occupancy rates, soaring revenue, and a thriving job market. From five-star stays to real estate investments, American tourists are playing a pivotal role in shaping Marbella’s post-pandemic success story, making it a must-visit hotspot on the Costa del Sol.

Marbella is becoming fashionable for American tourism. If, until a few years ago, it was a nationality whose presence was almost residual in our hotels, now the data refutes this statement. The number of visitors from the United States increased by 20% over last year. So far this year, 11,783 American tourists have stayed in Marbella hotels, accounting for 38,984 overnight stays.

According to municipal sources, most of these visitors from the United States have stayed in five-star hotels. This 20% increase means that the American tourists have grown the most, just behind the British and ahead of the Germans or French. Two factors have been decisive in attracting American tourists to the Costa del Sol: the attraction generated by the recent celebration of the Solheim Cup Golf and the ease of travel to Malaga with direct flights from New York.

Regarding this boom in American tourists, Leif Orthmann, Managing Partner of The Agency, remarks, “the Costa del Sol is an increasingly attractive destination for the American tourists. It is a trend that is increasing, and it also means that more and more Americans are interested in the real estate market of the Costa del Sol.”

For her part, Mayor Ángeles Muñoz has highlighted the “strength” of the Marbella tourism market, which exceeded its occupancy statistics of the last six years during the first half of 2024 and has beaten all historical records in terms of hotel profitability, reaching figures in this area, as well as in average stay, well above national indicators. "The data also reflect the results obtained from the strategies implemented by the City Council, mainly in terms of promotion in issuing markets as important for our city as the U.S. and Arab countries," stressed the councilor.

Similarly, the first mayor has highlighted the increase of Arab tourists and their loyalty to our destination, "mainly due to the lines of promotional activities in these countries, in which the Consistory will continue to work, and connectivity with direct flights," a positioning that poses a significant impact on the economic activity of the town, given its high spending power, with an average daily expenditure exceeding 600 euros and can reach even the 1,000 or 1,500 euros, compared to the average expenditure of tourists at the national level, which is around 200 euros per day.

In 2024, Marbella achieved historic tourism and employment milestones, driven by a surge in American tourists. Record-breaking hotel occupancy, longer stays, and higher room rates have fueled economic growth, while unemployment hit its lowest level since 2008. This success highlights Marbella’s appeal as a top global destination and its thriving post-pandemic recovery.

Record-Breaking Hotel Occupancy and Revenue

Marbella registered the best hotel occupancy in recent years from January to June, above 2019, a benchmark year for tourist records. The average stay was 3.43 days compared to the 2.97 national average. The municipality has broken historical records for the average price per room, with 174.58 euros compared to 119.21 euros in 2019 and 110.77 euros in Spain in 2024.

The same is true for RevPAR (revenue per available room), which in the first six months of this year stood at 120.37 euros, 6.7 more than last year and well above the 75.39 of 2019 and the national average for this year, which stood at 72.92 euros.

Mayor Highlights Post-Pandemic Recovery and Growth

Mayor Ángeles Muñoz has pointed out that the positive data "confirm the recovery experienced by Marbella after the pandemic and the important revulsive that is being 2024 for the sector, being the months of March, May, and June (in the latter case, of more than 80 percent) the highest occupancy of the historical series since the National Institute of Statistics (INE) analyzes and transmits the data."

In addition, in June, the city reached the record occupancy in hotel establishments in the historical series since 2005, surpassing by more than eight percentage points the figures for the same month last year and improving the historical record of 2019 by almost two points. Likewise, in the first half of the year, 351,756 overnight travelers were registered, with an increase in domestic tourism of 23 percent compared to last year.

Tourism Boom Fuels Employment Growth

These good tourism results are also extrapolated to those obtained in terms of employment. In this regard, it was highlighted that Marbella has harvested the best data since 2008 in July, with 7,369 people without occupation, which constitutes 1,755 unemployed less than in 2019, and 7,122 contracts formalized, 170 more than in the previous month. Similarly, in June, the number of Social Security contributors exceeded 82,000, 2,217 more than in the previous month and 1,144 more than in 2023, and has valued that the self-employed have reached 14,869, a figure higher by 627 compared to the same period last year.

Planning your visit to Marbella? Discover the best accommodations in Marbella and uncover the top things to do in Marbella to make the most of your stay. Whether you're seeking luxury hotels or exciting activities, these guides will help you experience the charm of this stunning Costa del Sol destination.