The Torremolinos City Council presents its awards for World Tourism Day to the hotels Meliá Costa del Sol and Puente Real, to OpenTours-Viajes Benamar, and posthumously to the hotelier Antonio Cerdán. The mayor, Margarita del Cid, highlights that behind the figures are people who make the municipality's progress possible.
The hotels Meliá Costa del Sol and Puente Real, the agency OpenTours-Viajes Benamar, and the hotelier Antonio Cerdán Céspedes, posthumously, are the recipients of this year's awards from the Torremolinos City Council on the occasion of World Tourism Day. This was announced by the mayor, Margarita del Cid, during an event attended by representatives from the sector, as reported by Diario Sur.
The Meliá Costa del Sol will celebrate its 50th anniversary since opening in 1976 in 2026. The establishment has 540 rooms spread across two buildings and completed a comprehensive renovation last May. The company is entering this phase with advancements in sustainability and technological innovation.
The Puente Real hotel was opened by Amadeo Sabat, who continues to lead the business alongside his children Alejandro and Eva, and the director, Isabel Cívico. The staff exceeds 150 professionals and the hotel has 473 rooms.
OpenTours-Viajes Benamar is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The company was founded in 1966 by Antonio Martín, and its current head, Ángel Martín, the founder's son, summarises the evolution from bookings by postal mail, telephone, and teletype to digital marketing. The company Viajes Benamar was established on July 28, 1966. To celebrate the anniversary, it has organised professional meetings in Spain and Portugal that brought together 1,200 professionals from the sector in June.
Antonio Cerdán Céspedes was the soul of Casa Antonio, a restaurant in Bajondillo founded by his father in 1951. Between 1995 and 2007, he served as councillor for Finance and Tourism. The mayor highlighted his commitment: "His deep knowledge of the tourism and hospitality sector allowed him to work with special dedication for the development and projection of Torremolinos."
"We want to recognise individuals and companies that, through their work and commitment, have contributed and continue to contribute to making our city one of the most sought-after and prestigious tourist destinations in the world. It is, therefore, a tribute to a strategic sector that generates well-being, drives development, and creates opportunities for our city. And one that we must care for and defend," Del Cid asserted.
The mayor also reviewed the municipality's tourism data. In August, Torremolinos once again led Andalusia with over 718,000 overnight stays and nearly 8,000 more travellers than in the same period of 2025. The average stay was 4.9 days and occupancy reached 90.8%. Overnight stays from domestic tourism grew by 1.2% to 223,589.
The employment generated by tourism activity in Torremolinos is around 11,000 direct jobs, which is 7.6% of the province's tourism employment. For the year to date, the municipality has recorded 3,978,987 overnight stays, with an average stay of 4.7 days, of which 76.1% correspond to international tourism.
Hotel profitability indicators also rose in August. The average daily rate (ADR) stood at 208.5 euros, a 14.8% increase from the previous year, and revenue per available room (RevPAR) reached 182.2 euros, with an increase of 11.1%.
"Behind each of these figures are people. People who work, who innovate, and who make it possible for Torremolinos to continue advancing," the mayor pointed out.
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