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IF YOU voted for Marbella in January and February after it was shortlisted for European Best Destination 2022, it's worked – the Costa del Sol capital of chic has come second, and also tops the list for 'Most Exclusive' places to visit.
The prestigious web portal Europeanbestdestinations.com, based in Brussels and founded in 2009 to promote travel and culture across the continent in conjunction with the European Commission's EDEN (European Destinations of Excellence Network), nominees are chosen by the general public for the final ranking in each of its categories.
Around half a million votes are cast every year when the potential 'Best' are up for scrutiny.
Destinations which reach the top levels of each list are given free publicity in some of the world's most widely-read and highly-acclaimed media – Forbes, Yahoo, Geo, and glossy magazines printed on every continent by Condé Nast, which include the long-running global women's fashion-and-feature monthly, Marie-Claire.
For winners of the most élite of all categories, Best Destination [Year], the publicity they get for free is worth in region of €10 million.
Marbella, coming second, will get around €2.3m in international advertising, and a further campaign in return for its being chosen as 'European Most Exclusive Destination' will involve another €2.5m in PR.
Mayoress Ángeles Muñoz says in the two months since the polls closed, the advertising Marbella earned as its second prize has already reached 2.6 million potential travellers.
Just being nominated is already lucrative for any European destination, since it puts them into the top 20 out of 400 previously long-listed, meaning they feature on a website consulted by over six million travellers annually seeking ideas.
This alone typically sees visitor numbers increase by between 13% and 40% in a given year, Ángeles Muñoz explains.
'Sustainable', 'elegant', and 'with thousands of flowers'
The 2022 winner and the only destination beating Marbella is the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, described as 'colourful' and 'green', and one of Europe's first to completely pedestrianise its city centre, meaning you can 'hear birdsong' as you go shopping.
Marbella, in its reserve-champion slot, is described as 'capital of the sun' and 'the preferred destination for travellers looking for relaxation, shopping, refined hotels and restaurants, also local handicrafts, golf, outdoor sports, elegance and refinement'.
Visitors flocking to the Costa del Sol holiday hotspot 'thanks to the council' include 'digital nomads' – people who work remotely or whose jobs are non-location specific – 'sports enthusiasts, gourmets, companies and investors'.
Marbella is hailed as an 'example of good practice at European level' in 'sustainable and responsible' tourism 'of very high quality'.
“Depart from your four- or five-star hotel and recharge your batteries on Puerto Banús beach; at noon, indulge your tastebuds in a Michelin-starred restaurant or tapas bar in the historic centre,” the article reads.
This latter part of Marbella, a destination that has been 'number one in your hearts for decades', is described as its 'inimitable signature' with 'authentic alleys with thousands of flowers and plants hanging on the walls and balconies'.
It includes links to tours and activities, and says the nearest airport is Málaga, at '40 minutes by car or public transport'.
Beating lakelands, fairytale castles and Ancient ruins
Completing this year's top three 'Best Destinations' is the northern-French town of Amiens, and is followed by the ancient city of Plovdiv in Bulgaria, the oldest continuously-inhabited municipality on the continent, having had communities in residence for over 8,000 years.
Marbella also beat Leuven in Belgium – home to the brewery Stella Artois – the colourful Art Deco city of Oradea in Romania, the UK capital of London, the 'city beach' town of Nijmegen in The Netherlands, the Lahti lakeland region in northern Finland, Europe's largest city of İstanbul, in Turkey, the Amalfi Coast in Italy's Bay of Naples, the Czech capital of Prague, the Italian capital of Rome, the Bavaria region of Germany with its Black Forest and fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle, the Greek capital of Athens, the western Ireland coastal town of Clonakilty, the Austrian capital of Vienna, the lake city of Lucerne in Switzerland, the historic Austrian city of Graz, and the Greek island of Crete.
Marbella is more exclusive than any of these...
In the 'Most Exclusive Destinations' category, a ranking of 10, Marbella beat Positano on southern Italy's Amalfi Coast, the Portuguese island of Madeira, Capri Island off the Amalfi Coast, the Alpine city of Gstaad in Switzerland and – cheating somewhat – Saint Barthelemy in the Lesser Antilles, a French overseas territory so 'politically' part of Europe, but geographically a long way off, in the Caribbean.
The other four, in descending order, beaten by Marbella are the ski resort of Megève in the French Alpes, the Monaco capital of Monte-Carlo, the Swiss Riviera resort city of Montreux, and the 'celebrity' island of Sveti Stefan off the coast of Montenegro.
...but why is it more exclusive?
After its opening line which declares that 'Marbella is the most exclusive and prestigious destination in Europe', the town's introduction describes it as the 'first choice' for discerning travellers 'looking for the best tourist experience', thanks to its 'sumptuous hotels, luxury boutiques, golf courses, beaches classified among the most beautiful in Spain, and unspoiled nature'.
“Marbella's warm micro-climate and year-round sunshine make it an outdoor sports paradise,” the article continues.
“[It's] a magnet for visiting golfers, as it boasts the highest density of golf courses in Spain.”
The page lists these as eight courses with 18 holes, one 27-hole course, two with 18 holes plus nine-hole routes, and three courses of nine holes, or 14 in total.
“Around half of Marbella's golf courses are located in its famous Golf Valley, seven kilometres west of the [town] centre and close to the Puerto Banús marina; other facilities are east of the town,” the text continues.
Referring to Marbella's fine dining, the article highlights three restaurants with Michelin stars along with smaller, local and family-run eateries serving up 'everything from Mediterranean to Thai'.
Marbella was the only Spanish location to make it into the European Best Destinations 2022 and Most Exclusive Destinations categories, although several other parts of the country have figured elsewhere, including Best Fairytale Destinations, Best Sustainable Destinations, Best Art Nouveau Destinations, Best Family Holiday, Best Mediaeval Destinations, Best Cultural Destinations, Best Hidden Gems, Best Blue Water Destinations, Best Green Capitals, and Best Romantic Destinations.
The crème of awards for coastal towns, Best Beaches 2022, also features Spanish entries, and a string of the most-visited countries have their own, national 'Best' lists.
We'll come back to you on those later.
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