“Golf has been and remains essential for tourism in the province”

The many attractions of Málaga province include one that draws an increasing number of visitors, mostly Europeans, who pack their bags, pick up their clubs and travel to this sun-blessed part of Andalucía: golf. Elías Bendodo, president of the Diputación Provincial de Málaga (provincial government), is well aware of golf’s importance to the Costa del Sol economy.

Bendodo is optimistic about the future of the golf sector on the Coast. He does, however, also stress that the area cannot lower its guard at any moment if it is to maintain its market-leading position, and it is important to preserve the quality of both the courses and the services provided to visiting golfers.

 

How have you viewed the evolution of golf over the past 30 years?

During that time the number of courses has more doubled and the number of visitors whose main reason for travelling here is golf has also increased considerably. At the moment, in the area popularly known as the Costa del Golf – which includes Málaga province and Sotogrande (at the eastern end of Cádiz province) – we have more than 70 courses, a high level of amenities that for several years now has given us a leading position in golf tourism.

 

What has golf meant, and what does it still mean, for tourism in Málaga province?

Golf has contributed to us being able to enjoy a positive, varied and potent range of tourist options, with the weather also playing an important role, plus major investments associated with tourism that have been undertaken by both private initiative and public institutions. Golf has been and remains essential for tourism in the province, especially when it comes to easing the seasonality of tourism, as it offers something parallel and complementary to sun and beach. In addition, as golf is an everyday phenomenon, with benefits that are palpable from one day to the next, many people have realised that it is by no means negative for society, but rather the contrary: it is a source of wealth and employment, as well as an extremely healthy sport than can be played at any age.  

 

Even though many have taken a while to reach this conclusion, politicians are also aware of the benefits that golf courses provide to their municipalities and province, as part of the tourism industry and bearing in mind that golf is in no way an elitist sport…

Some politicians, because of ideological prejudices, dismissed golf just a few years ago. We have always seen it as an opportunity to generate employment and wealth, because golf generates many millions of euros each year – around €1,400 million in Málaga province. Tourists who come here to play golf spend more, around €1,800 during an average stay of 12 days, so they are very interesting tourists for us. And also very interesting because they mostly come during the low season for sun and beach.  

What would happen if there was no golf tourism on the Costa del Sol?

Well, we wouldn’t be able to talk about a perfect product, which is what we have now and what enables us to remain open 365 days of the year and be able to offer everything. Golf is unquestionably a major international tourist attraction and we can claim to have the best climate for playing golf in Europe.  

 

What needs to be done to maintain the Costa del Sol’s leadership as a golf tourism destination?

Above all else, it is essential to maintain quality: in amenities, in services, in maintenance, in everything. You can always improve, but the truth is we have a high-quality product and that means our visitors are very loyal to the Costa del Sol and return time and time again.

 

Another factor that contributes to the Costa del Sol’s success is its great variety of courses, suitable for all budgets, as there are green fees from just over €20 to others costing more than €300…

That’s true, and also what happens is that tourists who come here for three or 15 days want to play a different course each day, and they are guaranteed that here, as there is a large and varied range to choose from, adapted to their preferences and budgets.  

 

Another factor that helps the Costa del Sol stand out from other areas is that most of the golf courses use recycled water for irrigation, regenerated with diverse treatment procedures after it is used for domestic consumption…

That is thanks to solid initiatives by Acosol (the water supply and treatment public authority that comes under the auspices of the Western Costa del Sol Association of Municipalities). There are now very few that don’t receive this water, but the aim – according to what I have been told by Acosol’s managing director – is for all golf courses in Málaga province to be irrigated using recycled water. This is a very positive situation, with courses benefiting from regenerated water, because otherwise it would be dumped into the sea. This use of recycled water is an extremely sensible measure and of great benefit environmentally.

 

The Diputación de Málaga has provided financial support to major international golf tournaments held on the Costa del Sol. In what way do these events held promote tourism in the province?

They represent an enormous media platform to spread the word about our tourist amenities. For example, the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España Femenino (being held at the time at Marbella’s Royal Guadalmina Golf Club) has been broadcast to 140 countries, where people will see summer images of the Costa del Sol when we are already in autumn and when it is almost like winter in many European countries. Broadcasting images of the Costa del Sol light, the Mediterranean light and golf courses in perfect condition is the best tourist promotion you can have. We are very satisfied with this commitment (to sponsoring tournaments) and its return on investment, and we will be continuing with it over the next few years.

 

The Costa del Sol has been registering record tourist numbers in recent years. What are the expectations and challenges for the immediate future?

The expectations are very good, but it is also true that we have challenges, because there are now more than 12 million tourists a year on the Costa del Sol, and what we can’t allow to happen is that an increase in the number of tourists results in a drop in the quality of services and infrastructure. So we have to build a sustainable model for the next 10 years, and that is the major challenge we need to address, all of us: maintain quality above all else.