In August, the number of Social Security affiliates in tourism-related activities experienced a remarkable 5.1% increase compared to the same month the previous year, amounting to 134,836 additional affiliates, reaching a total of 2,759,166. This surge in tourism employment now represents 13.5% of the total workforce in the economy of Spain, which, as a whole, grew by 2.8% during that month. When compared to August 2019, before the pandemic, the growth in tourism employment is also an impressive 5.1%.
Héctor Gómez, the acting Minister of Industry, Trade, and Tourism, lauded this exceptional performance, stating, “the performance of tourism employment this summer has been extraordinary, we have far exceeded the data for August 2022 and the pre-pandemic figures.” He emphasized that these figures underscore the pivotal role of tourism in the Spanish economy and the positive trend towards more specialized and higher-quality jobs. However, he stressed that efforts would continue to not only increase employment but also enhance job quality.
This increase in employment extends across all sectors of tourism activity. The hotel and catering sector saw 81,721 new registrations, with 26,459 in accommodation services and 55,262 in food and beverage services. Additionally, travel agencies and tour operators recorded 5,795 new affiliates.
In terms of employment types, the number of employees in the tourism sector, representing 81.8% of the total affiliated workers, increased by 6.2% compared to the same period the previous year. Self-employment in the tourism sector, accounting for 18.2% of the total, grew by 0.7%.
The growth in tourism employment was observed in all Autonomous Communities in August 2023. Notably, the Canary Islands and the Community of Madrid stood out with year-on-year increases of 6.2% and 6.1%, respectively. In absolute numbers, the largest increases occurred in Andalusia (16,318 more registered workers), Catalonia (12,848 more registered workers), the Community of Madrid (12,808 more), and the Canary Islands (9,439 more).
