Héctor Gómez highlights the "extraordinary" tourism employment data: "The industry is behaving"

The acting Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Héctor Gómez, has highlighted the “extraordinary” data on the labor market in the tourism field registered in the second semester, which reflect that the tourism industry “is behaving” and is pulling ” very much” of the country's economy in terms of job creation and economic activity.

This was stated in statements to the media at the Costa Adeje Tourism Development Center, in the south of Tenerife, where the minister has advanced the data from the Active Population Survey (EPA) of the tourism sector corresponding to the second quarter of year and has also made a balance of the sector for the first six months of the year and the summer tourist season, according to the people of Europa Press.

Héctor Gómez has highlighted that tourism employment in the second quarter has exceeded 2.86 million employed persons in Spain, which represents an increase of 5.4% compared to the same period in 2022 and 6.3% more than in 2019, and it has also highlighted that more than 80% of the people linked to the tourism field have an indefinite contract, while temporary contracts have dropped by 20%.

In relation to international markets, the minister explained that the small market has increased by more than 420% in the second quarter, with destination spending that has grown by more than 520%, while the US market has registered an increase of 57%. As for the European markets -British, German and French-, Héctor Gómez highlighted that they also present an “extraordinary” behavior.

With respect to connectivity, Héctor Gómez stressed that, according to the latest data from Enaire, the number of air operations is also growing, both in Europe and internationally, which indicates that the tourism sector “is pulling the economy very hard in job creation and economic activity.

The Minister of Tourism stressed that all these data have a significant impact on the Canary Islands and other autonomous communities such as Catalonia, Madrid, the Valencian Community or Andalusia, which are currently at the forefront of the autonomous communities as a whole in terms of tourist activity in the first semester.

SECOND SEMESTER

As for the balance of the sector for the second half of the year, the minister advanced that it presents “even better” indicators than the first half, so “we are following a line of growth, even exceeding the pre-pandemic indicators”. Thus, he indicated that spending at the destination is expected to exceed previous indicators by 20%, and the number of overnight stays is also expected to grow, which reflects that tourism development in our country “is presenting an extraordinary framework.”

Héctor Gómez highlighted that this demonstrates the strength of the business fabric in our country, “which is very powerful and is at the forefront in terms of the world tourist offer; and also that the effort made during the pandemic has paid off, since Spain continues to be the most competitive country in the world in terms of tourism”.

Questioned about the role of cruise tourism, he pointed out that it is important to recognize and interpret tourism “as a whole” and added that cruise tourism is also “an important asset”.. In this line, he admitted that there are aspects that must be coordinated with other administrations to channel cruise tourism, but he considers that it generates and has a very positive impact on our destination, it is booming and has a significant impact on commercial activity and on the additional offer.