UK Ambassador to Spain visits Estepona to strengthen ties with the municipality

A total of 4,529 British citizens are registered in Estepona, where they represent almost 6% of the population and actively participate in the social life of the municipality.

The Mayor, José María García Urbano, has received today at the Town Hall the Ambassador of the United Kingdom in Spain, Alex Ellis. This visit has served to strengthen ties of cooperation and highlight the important link between the UK and Estepona, both in terms of tourism and residential.

During the meeting they discussed issues of common interest such as the integration of the British community in the city, the positive impact of British tourism on the local economy and opportunities for cultural and social collaboration.

The Mayor pointed out that “one out of every five tourists staying in hotels in Estepona is British. Specifically, 20.31% of all our hotel visitors come from the UK. In this sense, he has stressed the importance of this market for the local tourism sector. “This reflects the strong connection that exists between our municipality and the United Kingdom, both in tourism and socially,” he added.

Currently a total of 4,529 British citizens are registered in Estepona, representing approximately 6% of the total population of the municipality. It is an active and integrated community, which participates regularly in local associations such as AREME (which brings together all foreign associations in the municipality), AGE CONCERN, the International Club of Estepona (ICE), the American Club of Estepona (ACE) -whose 90% of members are British-, the Charity and Pleausre Club (CAP) or entities dedicated to animal protection as ADANA and AGYA, where most of the volunteers are also of British nationality.

For his part, the ambassador, Alex Ellis, highlighted the value of this community as a bridge between the two countries and thanked the welcome and hospitality of the municipality towards the resident British citizens.

Main issuing market

In the field of tourism, the United Kingdom continues to be the main source market for visitors to the Costa del Sol. In 2024, 2.83 million Britons arrived at Malaga airport, representing 22.9% of the total number of passengers. This figure represents an increase of 6.5% compared to 2023. The main airports of origin of these travelers are London (40.4%), Manchester (10.7%), Bristol (7%), Birmingham (6.3%) and Glasgow (5.4%).

After the institutional reception, the ambassador met with representatives of British associations in Estepona.

The visit of Alex Ellis reinforces the international positioning of Estepona as an open, modern, sustainable and welcoming city, where cultural diversity enriches coexistence and local development.

In this line, the mayor has announced that the City Council will continue to promote initiatives aimed at foreign residents, which promote the full integration of our international neighbors.