The latest figures from the Spanish city of Malaga show that air and train traffic is down, but there has been an increase in the amount of cruise ship traffic to the city in southern Spain. This is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the country and the data shows it is suffering from the current economic woes.
Airport figures show that there was a drop in arrivals of 28.8 percent in the first two months of 2009 compared with the same time in 2008. Travelers from within Spain were down 28 percent, while those coming from other European countries fell by 31.6 percent. Fortunately, visitors from outside of Europe rose by a substantial 34 percent, but that was not nearly enough to offset the other drops. There were 16.2 percent less visitors from the UK, while Germany had a drop of 19 percent and French visits fell by 17.3 percent.
The train has also seen fewer travelers as the number of passengers arriving via the AVE was down 11 percent in January and February. The Costa del Sol Tourist Department indicates that 13,800 fewer train travelers came to Malaga compared to the same period in 2008.
Cruise traffic is a bright spot, as 24 ships docked in Malaga compared to 14 in the first part of 2008. The number of passengers was up by a similar percentage to nearly 50,000.
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