Spain: Tourism employment rises to 2.69 million in January

International

Turespaña reports 73,022 additional workers year-on-year

Employment linked to tourism activities continued its upward trajectory in January. According to data published by Turespaña, the number of registered workers increased by 73,022 compared to the same month of the previous year, bringing total tourism employment to 2.69 million. This represents a year-on-year growth of 2.8%, slightly above the overall expansion of the national labour market.

Tourism employment accounted for 3.3% of all registered workers in Spain, underlining the sector’s sustained economic relevance despite a more complex macroeconomic environment.

Hospitality sector remains key growth driver

The hospitality industry played a central role in the January figures. Employment in hospitality activities rose by 43,430 workers year-on-year. Accommodation services contributed 16,543 additional employees, while food and beverage services added 26,887.

Other tourism-related activities also recorded a notable increase of 40,573 workers. By contrast, travel agencies and tour operators saw a decline of 10,981 employees, reflecting ongoing structural shifts within the segment.

Paid employment continues to expand

Paid employment in tourism grew by 3.3% year-on-year. The development varied across subsectors. Travel agencies and tour operators recorded a decrease of 11%, whereas hospitality employment increased by 2.7%.

Within hospitality, accommodation services posted the strongest growth at 3.9%, followed by food and beverage services at 2.4%. The data suggest continued demand stability, particularly in accommodation-related activities.

Self-employment shows moderate increase

Self-employment in tourism, representing 18.5% of total registered workers, rose by 0.7% compared to January of the previous year. Hospitality activities recorded a 2% increase among self-employed workers, driven largely by accommodation services.

Travel agencies, however, registered a marked decline of 29.1% in self-employment, indicating continued adjustments in business structures and market conditions.

Valencian Community leads in relative growth

Tourism employment increased across nearly all Autonomous Communities. Ceuta and Melilla were the only territories without variation.

In absolute terms, Andalusia recorded the largest increase, with 8,648 additional workers, followed by the Valencian Community (7,825) and the Canary Islands (3,773).

In relative terms, the Valencian Community registered the strongest growth, ahead of Aragón and Andalusia.

Overall, the January figures point to a resilient tourism labour market, with hospitality activities providing the primary momentum for employment expansion.