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Yes, you already new it, the No 1 reason for visiting Southern Spain is
325 days of sunshine a year. This is closely followed by beautiful beaches, world class golf, exotic restaurants, bars and nightlife, tax free shopping not to mention the colourful local culture. In fact Andalucia`s cosmopolitan lifestyle is world renowned and much soughtafter not only by the Northern Europeans in search of a little sunshine but also by the Spanish themselves who appear in droves from as far as San Sebastian, Madrid, Barcelona, and as close as Cordoba, and Sevilla for the Spanish bank holidays and weekend breaks.
Let`s face it where in the world could you lie on the beach, play golf, or tax free shop in the morning, ski in the afternoon, and have dinner in one of the white washed villages (Pueblos Blancos) in the late evening.
Over the last 10 years the Andalucian region has benefited enormously from Spain`s European Union Subsidies which has vastly improved the infrastructure.
This in turn has resulted in a boom of new residents from all over Europe and in fact from around the world. The reasons for this are more complex than simply sun worship.
The regional economy has evolved from a seasonal tourist based income to a year round self supporting business and tourism centre, to rival any in Europe. The opportunities for ex-patriates are wide ranging and in abundance.
Reasons for this strong and continued growth can be attributed to a number of factors including:
- Market demand from Europeans and the Spanish markets
- Low cost flights
- Increase in flight availability, from more regions in the U.K.
- Pension inactivity, more people are choosing to move and retire to Spain and invest in property that can offer sound long term investment that could create a rental income if desired.
- Low interest rates
Malaga Airport's new terminal project will have the capacity to double its current use by 10 million passengers over the next 15 years and such long term investment creates confidence within tourism. This is reflected by the number of new low cost airlines offering routes not only from the London areas but also regional airports including Bournmouth, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Cork, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Teeside and Leeds.
Last winter (2006) has also seen a 20% increase in take off slots reflecting a higher increase in passenger numbers, proving that tourism, particularly in the Costa del Sol, is no longer seasonal. This increase also brings with it a buoyant economy as a longer season is good for new jobs and local business.
The choice of English Curriculum private schools is healthy and expanding all the time to meet growing demand. With an excellent choice of hospitals and medical centres, Southern Spain is in a class of its own when it comes to health care.
Add this to the alluring draw of warm winters, local skiing, world class watersports, tax free shopping, national parks, first class cuisine, a low cost of living, and you'll realise there is a lot more to this coast than just glitz, glamour and golf golf golf!
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