Tourism surpasses pre-pandemic employment for first time due to Holy Week’s contention

Last month, the industry reached 2.55 million unionized workers. Social SecurityAccording to the data released by Turespaña, affiliated with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, it means exceeding the 2.49 million accumulated by the sector in the same month of 2019, the last month before the pandemic. Foreign promotion of Spain as a destination.

“Two years after the worst crisis tourism has faced in its entire history, Spain is recovering its pre-pandemic employment levels.” Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Kings Maroto. “In the previous crisis of 2009, with a much smaller impact, tourism employment took six years to recover, which shows that the recipes applied on this occasion were implemented in conjunction with measures to support companies and workers, such as ERTE, the guarantees of the ICO. or direct aid has been more effective in the rapid revival of tourism in our country”.

This tourism registered 465,978 new workers last yearIt consolidates the growth of the active workforce in the sector that started in June last year, representing a growth of 22.3%. Social security institutions linked to tourist activities accounted for 12.1% of total employment in the Spanish economy at the end of last month.

In April, the number of salaried affiliates increased strongly by 28.2% and self-employed increased by 1.8%. “Employment emerges stronger from the crisis because better quality jobs are created, as evidenced by the strong increase in permanent contracts as a result of labor reform,” Minister Maroto said.

Employment in the tourism sector as a whole increased in all autonomous communities. In absolute figures, the largest increases Andalusia, Balearic Islands, Catalonia, Commonwealth of Valencia, Canary Islands and Community of Madrid. Relatively, annual increases in the Balearic Islands (+15%) and Andalusia (+33%) stand out.

The hotel management confirms that Holy Week serves to consolidate the tourist recovery. According to the data of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (Cehat), the average occupancy rate of rooms in Spanish hotels has reached 85%. While the occupancy rate in domestic tourism destinations during the holidays exceeded 90%, the occupancy rate reached 85% in regions where sun and beach tourism is the main activity, and 80% in snow tourism.

employment and wages

Major companies in the industry warned a few weeks ago about the impact of the increase in costs they incur, including salary costs. Lobby from Exceltur that brings together thirty of the country’s largest tourist groups (including them).Meliá, NH, Iberia, Globalia, Riu or Amadeus), it was pointed out that the increase in prices for the sector led to a 7.8% increase in wage costs with the effect of collective agreements related to CPI.

Given this situation, Exceltur has urged major unions and CEOE employers to reach an agreement for companies to “limit wage growth in the tourism sector so as not to hit the margins”. Paradoxically, while the tourism industry seeks to curb price increases, companies warn of the difficulties of finding trained staff. The cessation of operations due to the pandemic in the last two years has meant that some companies have not been able to regain some of their lost personnel and have been transferred to other economic sectors.