Employment in Spanish tourism sector recovers pre-pandemic level

The tourism campaign for the Easter holidays has concluded successfully in Spain for companies in the sector. Many hotels have hung the 'full' sign during these days and restaurants have seen customers return massively, despite the rise in prices.

Foreign visitors are flocking to the Spanish coast, but the business improvement has been perceived throughout Spain also thanks to the residents, who needed to rejoice after two years of restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the Spanish hotel business organization, a quarter of foreign demand still needs to be recovered, but the domestic market is already at full capacity. This allows business owners to predict that 2022 will finally be the year of recovery for Spanish tourism.

But the recovery was already noticeable before the April vacation period. According to the Spanish Tourism Institute (Turespana), employment in tourism touched the pre-pandemic level in March, with 2,388,910 contributors to Social Security, which is 99.4% of those in the sector in the same month of 2019.

Social Security contributors employed in tourist activities account for 12.1% of the total number of affiliates in the national economy.

330,000 new jobs

According to the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Reyes Maroto, the recovery of tourism that is taking place in Spain is "vigorous" and is having a direct impact on employment. During the last year, 330,000 jobs have been created in tourist activities, the minister explained.

Employment growth was significant in all branches of the tourism business: accommodation, restaurants, travel agencies and other activities.

Also compared to March 2019, self-employment grew in accommodation services (7.6%), travel agencies and tour operators (3.4%).