The future of the Costa del Sol

Residential tourism occurs when somebody likes a holiday destination so much that he or she decides to stay in it for a longer time or even permanently. They want a place of their own rather than a hotel room and so they use their 'surplus' wealth to invest in buying a property. Depending upon their ties, character and interests, they may end up living and working in the place.

Residential tourism is not new and it is possible to learn and project from the experiences of others. For as long as people have been able to travel and have had sufficient wealth, it has occurred. Mass travel and mass surplus wealth is the relatively new factor. Tradition is also important. Spain has ten times more second homes per 1,000 of the population than the UK.

In the UK the industrial revolution started 200+ years ago. Imagine the large cities full of smoke from hundreds of thousands of domestic and industrial chimneys and a climate that could hold that smoke in place for sometimes weeks on end. That, with the stress of living close to everybody else would make one long for fresh air, fields, views and light. Not a lot different from what Andalucía sells now.

Then though, holidays were short and transport slow, but along came steam trains and ships. A great release that opened far horizons. In West of Scotland for example, whole towns grew out of country or fishing villages from where workers commuted or were able to visit easily for their annual holidays or even long-weekends. Sounds familiar?

The mass manufactured motorcars and cheap public transport were the next big 'leap' for many. Commuting was possible for many more, holidays could be taken at one's own pace and the distances travelled became greater.

However, the real distance change came with the invention of the jet engine. All those masses were now able to travel from the cold and dark of the North to the light and warmth of Spain in a morning. And that's what they have been doing in increasing numbers ever since.

The recent introduction of low cost airlines has made it even easier for people to make their own economic travel arrangements and even not need to take a 'package holiday' including the hotel. Independent weekend travel becomes realistic and so the regular use of a house here by families and groups of friends is practical.

Also within Spain, it is now realistic to drive to Andalucía and to have a similar or better man-made quality of life in addition to the natural advantages.

There is a commonality now to construction and services quality and availability throughout the EU so that one can get as good a quality and style of house in Andalucía as in the 'home' town - and vice versa. And that latter point is important.

We can rightly concentrate on quality and style of building here, but people are not coming to Andalucía for those. What are they coming for? A much more difficult and varied answer is needed. Basically though, they are coming because they can increase their quality of life for a short while and recharge their batteries. Most don't want to come to the same as they are leaving and we are in danger of creating that scenario with the intensive and continuous construction removing the natural advantages and quality of daily life to such a point where people find that they are merely swapping one urban jungle for another.

And we must learn from the example of the seaside towns of the UK. Their natural assets haven't changed. What has changed is the ratio of difference between where their customers live and work and these holiday towns. The holiday towns have lost much of their individual identity in man-made developments to cater for the tourists. Clean Air legislation has removed the soot and resultant smogs in the working towns; readily available personal transport and omni-present telephones and now the internet have meant that people can live in the country suburbs near their work. So the differential between normal and traditional holiday living has all but disappeared.

People want change and with the jet engine they were able to bring back that differential by travelling to the sun and warmth. As society grows more educated and knowledgeable through television, they will hunger for difference once again if Andalucía becomes too bland and samey. Concrete is the danger, both in its installation and its radical permanence.

These dangers also increase the 'Get Rich Quick' mentality that will accelerate the problem. "If things are going to change I'm going to make sure that I get my development done and profit out before that happens and to hell with the fact that it will make matters worse."

Similarly, there is a machine rolling that is very difficult to stop. Development teams are created for a development. Once that urbanisation or whatever is completed, the team is still there and needs to create others to keep themselves in employment. They get used to their raised standard of living and don't want to let go. So they proceed with more and more developments, eyes down on those and not looking at how they could be detracting from the bigger picture. Concentrating on their gain, but not considering a balance with what is being lost. Look at what's happened because of Marbella's permission 'problems'. There has been an explosion outwards, as far as Murcia and Costa La Luz, of developments by teams originating from the 'good days' in Marbella.

Also, just because they can sell the apartments or whatever off-plan doesn't mean that there is a demand for them. It merely means that there is enough money out there without a home. Talk to mortgage brokers now and you will find that they are being increasingly contacted by short-term investors who are unable to 'sell on' the property for the profit anticipated, or even at all, and are being faced with life crippling mortgages or being declared a defaulter on the purchase with the increased costs that will then incur. And that message will get back north. We all know how the press loves a 'scandal' and will blame the promoter and agent even if much of the fault is the investors' own greed.

The same pressures are evidenced by increased commission percentages being offered to agents to try to get them to sell the property quickly. All this will naturally slow development, but not before much harm has been done to the natural advantages that have brought the people here in the first place.

Who is to control all that? Education of all in the long term, but plans and enforcement from the authorities is the only immediate answer. There must be a master plan of positive development meeting a sustainable occupation need. It must combat the development of any piece of land just because it is there or there is a construction team in place and the remote people are willing to invest. Whether the authorities have that the strength of purpose to counteract the personal influences we can only wait and hope to see. They can also stop the scarred landscapes of cleared sites in anticipation of development. Leave nature alone until it has to be changed. Recent newspaper articles and university and promoter conferences are encouraging as they too are asking if we are losing more than is being gained.

Tourists, be they here for a fin de semana or for the rest of their lives, are here because of what is here now. Any change to that is a risk. And just because all the tourists in the world want to come, must we build to accommodate them all? Of course not. By restricting our offer we make it more attractive. We will maintain and amplify the magic of Andalucía by having a few more 'Completo' signs on the existing hotels and developments rather than 'Se vende' on a half-occupied over-developed lost paradise.

Nature has made Andalucía a world-class wonderful place. We, that is you, me and all the people we talk with in the bars, Ayuntamientos, banks and families, must ensure that we keep that special spark. In a way, we must become more Andaluz. 'Mañana, mañana', should be the caution regarding development. It must be intelligent development, meeting what occupiers want and not just a way to make immediate money. Enjoy what we have now and not just anything that we can build though it destroys the future. ANDALUCÍA IS DIFFERENT. BE DIFFERENT AND STAY DIFFERENT.

Submitted to Essential Magazine, Marbella for Sept. 2004

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