Torremolinos sports tourism booms with record 86 per cent growth

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The town hall says the sector brought in more than 4 million euros in 2025 compared with 2.2 million the previous year

Tony Bryant

Monday, 12 January 2026, 16:20

Sports tourism continues to grow in Torremolinos, a segment that the town hall says shows no sign of slowing down, and which in 2025 recorded an 86 per cent surge in economic impact compared with 2024. This has raised the economic contribution of the sector to 4,137,840 euros, up from 2,213,834 euros the previous year.

The number of foreign teams using the municipal sports facilities also rose in 2025, increasing by 24 per cent. A total of 277 teams from different European countries, mainly in swimming, football and multi-sport disciplines, visited the town last year. These clubs stayed in local hotels throughout the year, generating 34,395 overnight stays, 28 per cent more than in 2024.

Likewise, income derived from the hire of municipal sports facilities increased by 45 per cent, reaching 344,651 euros, with the Virgen del Carmen III swimming pool being the sports infrastructure generating the highest return.

Record number of users

Torremolinos also closed the year with a record high of more than 16,000 users registered with the sports department. In 2025, the number of users of municipal sports facilities stood at 9,447, including both participants in instructor-led classes and subscribers with monthly open-access passes.

“2025 was a historic year for sport in Torremolinos, with spectacular growth that reinforces our commitment to this sector and which helps to diversify the town’s tourism offering. It generates wealth locally and has established itself as a driving force in energising the destination,” explained sports councillor Ramón Alcaide.

In addition to regular subscribers, the sports facilities also served more than 7,000 additional users who opted for occasional access options such as multi-use passes and day tickets.

“We continue to work to bring sport closer to all residents of Torremolinos through a varied, high-quality offering. That is why we are continuing to promote the refurbishment and construction of sports facilities so that citizens have access to first-class infrastructure,” Alcaide added.

Grassroots sport

The commitment to grassroots sport remained strong in 2025 through recreational and sports days for schoolchildren. A total of 6,647 pupils from up to 16 schools, both from the town and other municipalities in the province, passed through the municipal facilities, having the opportunity to begin or further develop a sporting discipline.

Support for and promotion of sport in the town was also reaffirmed with the allocation of 112,968 euros in grants to cover the costs of participation by athletes and sports organisations from the municipality in official competitions.

The municipal sports offering is complemented by 19 local clubs, with more than 100 teams across different disciplines using the sports facilities, involving over 2,500 athletes.

The town hall said that this intense activity at the municipal sports complex is further enhanced by the hosting of a calendar of more than 60 sporting events throughout the year, including major events such as the half marathon, the indoor triathlon and the Torremolinos cross country race.