Malaga's tourism sector demands urgent investment from central government

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Business owners in the province have sent a letter to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to list the actions they consider vital for tourism

Pilar Martínez

Málaga

Monday, 9 March 2026, 13:15

The first few months of 2026 have not been fortunate for Malaga province's tourism industry. Incidents and delayed works have threatened the start of the high season and visitor forecasts have alerted local business owners, who have now sent a letter to PM Pedro Sánchez to demand urgent investment in the province's needs.

First it was the train accident in Cordoba province, which suspended the high-speed line in the whole of Andalucía. Once it reopened in Seville and Cordoba, however, the high-speed line remained suspended in Malaga province due to the landslide in Álora. With a couple of weeks left until the start of Easter Week, there are still no trains running directly between Malaga and Madrid.

Then, there was the succession of storms that caused floods across Andalucía in February and complicated the recovery of the rail. The war escalation in Iran has become the last straw for the sector.

In their letter, hospitality entrepreneurs complain of pending projects necessary to improve Malaga's infrastructure and provide a quality tourist experience. More than 500 companies in the province have signed the letter sent by head of Malaga's hotels association José Luque.

With the letter, the entrepreneurs convey "their serious concern about the lack of investment in many areas that fall within the competence of the central government and that directly affect the main industry of the province, which is also the main industry of the country".

The text highlights that, in 2025, the province gained "21.8 billion euros", thanks to 152,000 workers and 14.6 million visitors. According to business owners, the province lacks proper investment "in transport, water supply and electricity infrastructure" to complement and support the "economic, demographic and tourist growth".

21.8

billion euros is what the tourist industry generated in the province last year, thanks to the work of 152,000 employees

In addition, the text mentions insufficient efforts to protect local beaches, some of which are "practically disappearing" due to the recent storms. According to the tourism sector, they are among the province's most valuable features.

The letter also talks about the absence of enough security workforce at the airport to attend to the long queues of tourists waiting to have their passports checked.

The hotel employers are also concerned about the deficiencies of the road network, specifically that of the A-7 motorway that suffers frequent traffic jams. They call for extensions and reforms of the links to municipalities and for more affordable tolls for using the state-owned Costa del Sol motorway.

The letter also goes deeper into rail matters, highlighting the Malaga-Fuengirola train, which already "exceeds 90 per cent of its capacity", without reaching Mijas, Marbella or Estepona. No train connects Malaga to the eastern Costa del Sol, "despite its constant growth". One of the main demands of the province is the coastal train between Nerja and Algeciras.

The sector also says that "the current state of saturation of the electricity grid in the province is a problem that seriously compromises activity". They warn Sánchez that "there is not enough electricity capacity to guarantee the viability of new business, real estate or industrial projects in the province and in many areas of Andalucía".

Water is another pain point of the province. The letter reminds the prime minister that, although the recent rains have substantially increased water reserves, the situation can quickly change from year to year in a province that has suffered chronic drought.

For this reason, the sector calls for speeding up the Axarquía and Fuengirola-Mijas desalination plants. The entrepreneurs also say that the Gibralmedina dam is essential for the supply of the Campo de Gibraltar and the western Costa del Sol, as well as the Cerro Blanco dam.

The entrepreneurs conclude the letter by stating that this is just the list of the most urgent works that the province needs.