Face of tourists in Malaga changing.
Credit: Jose Hernandez Camera 51 – Shutterstock
After the Brits, guess which nation is the second most important in holiday-making in the Costa del Sol? It’s not German, Dutch, French or Scandinavian. And they don’t come looking for nightclubs, karaoke, or crowded beaches. Most of them are not looking for food just like they get back home or watching Premiership matches on the big screen. As of November 2025, the second biggest holidaying nationality flying into Malaga airport is from the United States!
Once the Costa del Sol’s attraction came not only from its pristine beaches, exquisite, yet simple cuisine, and laid-back and welcoming people. As well as that, once, the bang-for-buck exchange rate between the peseta and pound, or peseta and krona, was spectacular. You could live like a king for so much less, invest in a holiday home, and pay for it by renting it out while not in Spain. However, with changes in economies, changes in rules, and changes in exchange rates, Spain is nowhere near as cheap as it once was for many in Europe. Enter the dollar!
Americans get more bang for their buck
In November, the United States established its position as the second-largest international source of tourists to Malaga Province, with 7,718 American tourists staying in hotels and generating 14,345 overnight stays, trailing only the United Kingdom’s massive 13,554 travellers and 32,808 nights. This marks a major change, as the US has now overtaken traditional European powerhouses like Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Scandinavian countries in the Costa del Sol’s hotel sector for that month, a trend that echoes what also occurred back in June.
Year-to-date, until November, American visitors have rocketed to 83,752 hotel stayers with 173,451 overnight stays, which reflects a breathtaking 10.82 per cent increase in arrivals and a 4.31 per cent rise in overnight stays as a whole compared to the same period in 2024.
American tourists different tastes
Unlike many European visitors, particularly from the UK, Germany, or the Netherlands, who often take shorter, more budget-focused trips with average stays of 2.27 to 2.46 days and may gravitate toward livelier nightlife, all-inclusive resorts, or familiar comforts like pub-style entertainment – Americans tend to seek a more refined and immersive experience in the Malaga Province and broader Costa del Sol. They are drawn to the region’s year-round sunshine, pristine Mediterranean beaches for relaxed lounging rather than packed party scenes, and the more than 70 world-class golf courses.
Luxury hotspots like Marbella and Sotogrande offer yacht marinas, high-end shopping, and gourmet dining that evoke a more glamorous, Riviera-like escape at a reasonable price compared currently to in the US. While cultural pursuits in Malaga’s historic core, such as exploring Picasso’s birthplace, the Alcazaba fortress, or nearby whitewashed villages like Mijas, Casares and Frigiliana, provide an authentic taste of Andalucian heritage. Fresh seafood tapas in beachside chiringuitos and day trips to iconic sites like Ronda or Granada’s Alhambra round out the allure, emphasising quality over quantity in their itineraries.
This demographic shift signals a broader evolution in Costa del Sol tourism: once dominated by mass-market European package holidays focused on sun, sea, and socialising, the region is increasingly attracting affluent, experience-seeking travellers from across the Atlantic. Improved direct flight connectivity from the US to Malaga Airport has fuelled this change, with Americans now comprising a growing share of the international mix (87,045 travellers in November, up 11.24 per cent).
As overall hotel stay rates hit 77.78 per cent in November and 82.59 per cent year-to-date, the influx of longer-staying, higher-spending US visitors, often with interests in wellness, adventure, and cultural depth, is diversifying the visitor profile, reducing seasonal dependency, and elevating the province’s premium positioning in the global travel market.