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Costa del Sol summer tourism figures have shown an end to the decline in visitor numbers that has been seen every summer since 2002, with tourism authorities confident that the boost will be sustained through to the end of September.

Hotels and property investment holiday homes on the Costa del Sol achieved a 90 per cent occupancy rate over the summer months, with more than two million overnight hotel and jet to let stays, said the Costa del Sol tourist board.

The increase through August by five per cent on 2004 figures was achieved despite the number of beds in the Costa del Sol needing to be filled every summer rising by 4,000 over the last year.

July figures rose by two per cent on the same period of 2004, with a 70 per cent bed occupancy rate. Tourism officials have stressed that the increased returns were a result of redoubled efforts to draw visitors back to the region.

"Now we have to do a lot more to achieve what before we could do with just four telephone calls", Jose Prieto, the president of the hoteliers association Aehcos told Spanish newspaper Sur.

The authorities also pointed out that while visitor numbers have crept back up from the lows of 2003/2004 visitors have been less keen to spend while on holiday, a reflection of the lagging consumer confidence of much of northern Europe.

Mr Prieto believes that the market has been buoyed by an increasing trend of discounted last minute bookings offered on jet to let websites, property investment holiday rental sites and by travel operators such as Thomas Cook.

An increase in interest from domestic, Spanish visitors has also been noticeable said Costa del Sol travel agents spokesman Pedro Garcia, with the increases in Spanish tourism playing a larger role than a major revival of foreign visitors in the regions recovery.

Tourism officials agree that visitor numbers will stay up through September, with the Junta de Andalucia predicting a 1.7 per cent rate of growth in the region, and the Costa del Sol tourist board expecting a three per cent boost.

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