Tourism employment increases by 4.9% in February compared to the same month of 2023

The number of Social Security contributors linked to tourism activities reached 2,584,565 in February 2024, an increase of 4.9% over the same month of the previous year. Tourism employment now accounts for 12.5% of total employment in the country's economy, which as a whole grew by 2.6% in the month.

In February, the number of employees in the tourism sector increased by 5.8% compared to the same month of the previous year, representing 81% of the total number of contributors in this sector. By branch of activity, salaried employment increased in travel agencies and tour operators (8%) and in hotels and restaurants (5.9%).

Self-employment in tourism, which represents 19% of the total number of contributing workers, increased by 1.2 %. The hotel and catering business remained stable and travel agencies saw a year-on-year increase of 6.9% in the number of self-employed.

Increased number of workers in the whole sector

In absolute terms, there were 120,003 new contributors in February compared to the same month in the previous year. This growth affects all areas of tourism activity.

In hotels and catering, the figure stood at 75,126 contributors (23,603 in accommodation services and 51,523 in food and beverage services), and in travel agencies and tour operators it reached 4,671. Other tourism activities also recorded an overall increase of 40,206 workers.

The Balearic Islands, the fastest growing

Employment in hotels and restaurants and travel agencies/tour operators as a whole increased in all regions in February 2024. In relative terms, the year-on-year increase in the Balearic Islands stands out (9.5%).

In absolute figures, the largest increases were in Andalusia (14,156 more contributors), Madrid (12,506), Catalonia (10,580 more contributors), the Valencian Community (9,990 more contributors) and the Canary Islands (with an increase of 9,569).

Non official translation