Social Security affiliations related to touristic activities experienced a notable upswing of 3.9% in July compared to the corresponding month in the prior year, reaching a remarkable 2.8 million. This performance marks the most robust July in the historical record, as per data sourced from Turespaña. Within this context, the Canary Islands demonstrated a particularly strong growth in employment, with a 5.9% year-on-year surge, adding 9,025 more individuals to the workforce.
Consequently, the sector’s employment presently constitutes 13.4% of the overall number of affiliated workers within the national economy. This signifies a 7.2% expansion compared to July 2019, when the membership figure stood at 2,618,636.
Héctor Gómez, the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Tourism, expressed that “the sector’s employment symbolizes an exceptional 2023, with data that underscore the resilience of our business fabric and the unwavering momentum of the government in the post-pandemic era.”
Furthermore, the Minister of Tourism emphasized that “Spain is the benchmark in the tourism industry and stands as the most competitive country in this sector.”
In July, there was an aggregate rise of 104,981 new employees in the sector in comparison to 2022, indicative of growth spanning all segments of tourism activity. Specifically, the hotel and catering sector recorded an increase of 62,504 workers, divided into 24,002 in accommodation services and 38,502 in food and beverage services. Travel agencies and tour operators observed an uptick of 5,758 employees, while other tourism activities collectively witnessed a rise of 36,719 workers.
Additionally, the number of workers within the tourism sector, constituting 82.1% of the total affiliates, demonstrated a year-on-year growth of 4.7%. The self-employment segment within tourism, encompassing 17.9% of all affiliated workers, registered a modest uptick of 0.3%.
Tourism employment rises in all Spain’s regions
Remarkably, employment within the hotel and catering as well as travel agencies/tour operators sectors expanded across all Autonomous Communities in July 2023. In absolute terms, the most notable increases were reported in Andalusia (12,040 more affiliates), Catalonia (10,313), the Community of Madrid (10,022), the Balearic Islands (9,188), and the Canary Islands (9,025). In relative terms, the year-on-year increases in the Canary Islands (5.9%) and the Balearic Islands (5.4%) stood out prominently.
