The Rent a car sector in Malaga triples its volume!
NEWS FROM SUR IN ENGLISH
Car hire firms rent out more than 3,000 cars a day on the Costa del Sol during the summer
Almudena Nogués
The rent-a-car sector triples its volume of business due to the high demand from summer tourists
The majority of car hire firms are located near the airport or in the vicinity of the big hotels
During the summer months the Costa del Sol’s car hire firms are working flat out and at full speed. It is at this time of year when these companies are at their busiest, thanks to the avalanche of tourists heading for the Costa del Sol for their summer holidays. More and more visitors are choosing the comfort of their own transport so as not to rely on bus and train timetables.
According to the Association of Andalusian Car Hire Services (AEDAVE), rental firms are responsible for adding an extra 3,000 vehicles to the province’s traffic every day during the peak holiday season. The majority of the business is concentrated in and around the airport, with an average of 2,000 rental contracts being signed here every weekend.
The increase in demand is such that some firms even claim they triple their volume of business. The firm “Car Gest” is one example. Rosa Acosta, the firm’s management secretary, admits that they are overwhelmed by business. “It’s crazy, we almost can’t cope with it”, she says, adding that her firm alone rents out 25 vehicles a day.
After a quiet winter, the companies see the hectic summer as the boost they need, saving a year marked by the greatly fluctuating demand.
The latest statistics produced by the sector reveal that the province has a fleet of just over 40,000 rental vehicles. The car hire companies themselves boast an annual turnover of more than 200 million euros.
An investigation carried out by the public Planning and Development Society (Sopde), part of the Provincial Government, reveals that the car hire industry is made up mainly by medium sized businesses. Of the total, 52 per cent have fleets of between 26 and 50 vehicles and 24 per cent have between 51 and 100 vehicles. The association AEDAVE encompasses 75 per cent of the total number of firms: 210 companies which employ 1,700 people.
When asked about the most popular vehicle to rent in the summer, the experts point out that it all depends on the type of client. While families prefer more specious five-door vehicles with large boots, couples go for smaller models that are easy to park. Both groups always demand air conditioning, an essential feature to cope with the high summer temperatures.
As for their most typical customers, the firms claim that 85 per cent of their clientele is foreign, and mainly British. Spanish tourists tend to bring their own cars, explains Miguel Marín, the president of AEDAVE. However within this minority of Spanish clients, the majority are from Madrid, adds Andrea Arana of the firm Atesa. And when it comes to prices, to rent a car for a week costs a minimum of 120 euros, although that is the basic price with no extras, not even air conditioning, included.
While the majority of clients still prefer the more traditional reservation systems, álvaro Chavet, the director of the firm Car Hire, explains that more and more people are using the internet to book their holiday vehicle. In fact according to the study carried out by Sopde, 17 per cent of all vehicle hire services on the Costa del Sol are previously booked via the internet.
Finally the average rental period tends to be for two weeks, “although there are people who just want a vehicle for a couple of days for an excursion to the Alhambra or Gibraltar”, maintains Chavet. Among the requirements of the car hire companies are that the client and driver must be over the age of 23, have had a driving licence for at least two years and own a credit card.
The Figures
Fleet: Car hire firms on the Costa del Sol have a total fleet of more than 40,000 vehicles.
Employment: The firms registered with the professional association AEDAVE (75 per cent of the total) employ 1,700 people.
Price: The basic price to hire a small car for a week with no extras is from 120 euros.
Most popular models: Families prefer large five door vehicles while couples go for small cars that are easy to park.
Summer business: Some firms triple their volume of business. The sector as a whole rents out 3,000 cars every day.
Car hire firms rent out more than 3,000 cars a day on the Costa del Sol during the summer
Almudena Nogués
The rent-a-car sector triples its volume of business due to the high demand from summer tourists
The majority of car hire firms are located near the airport or in the vicinity of the big hotels
During the summer months the Costa del Sol’s car hire firms are working flat out and at full speed. It is at this time of year when these companies are at their busiest, thanks to the avalanche of tourists heading for the Costa del Sol for their summer holidays. More and more visitors are choosing the comfort of their own transport so as not to rely on bus and train timetables.
According to the Association of Andalusian Car Hire Services (AEDAVE), rental firms are responsible for adding an extra 3,000 vehicles to the province’s traffic every day during the peak holiday season. The majority of the business is concentrated in and around the airport, with an average of 2,000 rental contracts being signed here every weekend.
The increase in demand is such that some firms even claim they triple their volume of business. The firm “Car Gest” is one example. Rosa Acosta, the firm’s management secretary, admits that they are overwhelmed by business. “It’s crazy, we almost can’t cope with it”, she says, adding that her firm alone rents out 25 vehicles a day.
After a quiet winter, the companies see the hectic summer as the boost they need, saving a year marked by the greatly fluctuating demand.
The latest statistics produced by the sector reveal that the province has a fleet of just over 40,000 rental vehicles. The car hire companies themselves boast an annual turnover of more than 200 million euros.
An investigation carried out by the public Planning and Development Society (Sopde), part of the Provincial Government, reveals that the car hire industry is made up mainly by medium sized businesses. Of the total, 52 per cent have fleets of between 26 and 50 vehicles and 24 per cent have between 51 and 100 vehicles. The association AEDAVE encompasses 75 per cent of the total number of firms: 210 companies which employ 1,700 people.
When asked about the most popular vehicle to rent in the summer, the experts point out that it all depends on the type of client. While families prefer more specious five-door vehicles with large boots, couples go for smaller models that are easy to park. Both groups always demand air conditioning, an essential feature to cope with the high summer temperatures.
As for their most typical customers, the firms claim that 85 per cent of their clientele is foreign, and mainly British. Spanish tourists tend to bring their own cars, explains Miguel Marín, the president of AEDAVE. However within this minority of Spanish clients, the majority are from Madrid, adds Andrea Arana of the firm Atesa. And when it comes to prices, to rent a car for a week costs a minimum of 120 euros, although that is the basic price with no extras, not even air conditioning, included.
While the majority of clients still prefer the more traditional reservation systems, álvaro Chavet, the director of the firm Car Hire, explains that more and more people are using the internet to book their holiday vehicle. In fact according to the study carried out by Sopde, 17 per cent of all vehicle hire services on the Costa del Sol are previously booked via the internet.
Finally the average rental period tends to be for two weeks, “although there are people who just want a vehicle for a couple of days for an excursion to the Alhambra or Gibraltar”, maintains Chavet. Among the requirements of the car hire companies are that the client and driver must be over the age of 23, have had a driving licence for at least two years and own a credit card.
The Figures
Fleet: Car hire firms on the Costa del Sol have a total fleet of more than 40,000 vehicles.
Employment: The firms registered with the professional association AEDAVE (75 per cent of the total) employ 1,700 people.
Price: The basic price to hire a small car for a week with no extras is from 120 euros.
Most popular models: Families prefer large five door vehicles while couples go for small cars that are easy to park.
Summer business: Some firms triple their volume of business. The sector as a whole rents out 3,000 cars every day.
posted by Malaga Information Urlaub Reisen Unterkunft at 12:13 AM
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