Spain’s tourism workforce exceeds 3.25 million as employment rises 5.4% - Get updated on what's happening in tourism!

Employment in Spain’s tourism industry reached 3,252,035 people in the third quarter of 2026, an increase of 5.4% compared with the same period last year. According to figures published by Turespaña and based on Spain’s Labour Force Survey (EPA), tourism-related activities employed 166,204 more people between July and September than a year earlier. The sector accounted for 14.2% of total employment in the Spanish economy.

The increase reflects continued growth across much of the tourism industry, particularly accommodation, food services and passenger transport. Hospitality employment rose by 4.9%, supported by increases of 5.1% in accommodation services and 4.8% in food and beverage activities. Travel agencies recorded a decline of 2.6%, although Turespaña cautioned that changes to Spain’s economic activity classification system affected the figures, making them less representative of actual employment developments.

Despite the overall expansion, the proportion of unemployed people within the tourism labour force rose to 8.5%, one percentage point higher than in the third quarter of 2025. Employment growth also varied considerably between regions, with particularly strong increases in Castilla-La Mancha and Catalonia, while several established tourism destinations recorded declines.

Permanent employment continues to strengthen

The number of salaried tourism employees reached 2,801,135 in the third quarter, representing an annual increase of 6%. This extended a sequence of 22 consecutive quarters of year-on-year growth in salaried employment.

Passenger transport recorded particularly strong growth of 9.9%, while hospitality employment among salaried workers increased by 6%. Other tourism activities registered a more modest increase of 0.9%, with travel agencies showing a decline of 1.9% within that category.

One of the most significant developments was the continued expansion of permanent employment. Employees holding indefinite contracts accounted for 82.7% of salaried tourism workers, with their numbers increasing by 8.4% compared with the previous year.

The temporary employment rate fell by 1.8 percentage points to 17.3%, although it remained above the 15.4% recorded across the Spanish economy. The number of temporary employees nevertheless increased by 4.1%, indicating that both employment categories expanded as the industry grew.

Full-time employment accounted for 78.8% of salaried tourism jobs, increasing by 7.1% year on year. Part-time employment rose by 2.1% and represented the remaining 21.2%.

Self-employment also continued to expand, although at a slower pace. Spain recorded 450,286 self-employed workers in tourism, an increase of 1.7% compared with the third quarter of 2025.

International workers play a growing role

Foreign workers made a particularly substantial contribution to employment growth. Their number increased by 13.7% to 827,879 in the third quarter, significantly outpacing the overall expansion of tourism employment.

International employees therefore represented approximately one quarter of the tourism workforce. Their growing presence highlights the importance of international labour to an industry that employs more than three million people and encompasses accommodation, restaurants, transport and numerous other services.

The figures also illustrate the changing composition of tourism employment. While the total workforce continues to expand, the simultaneous growth in permanent contracts and the declining temporary employment rate point to a gradual shift towards more stable employment arrangements.

Nevertheless, tourism remains more dependent on temporary contracts than the Spanish economy as a whole, reflecting the seasonal nature of many hospitality and travel-related activities.

Regional employment trends diverge

Tourism employment increased in ten of Spain’s autonomous communities, while the remaining regions recorded declines. The strongest percentage growth was registered in Castilla-La Mancha, where employment rose by 22% compared with the third quarter of 2025.

Among Spain’s major tourism destinations, Catalonia recorded the largest increase at 11.5%, followed by the Community of Madrid with growth of 8.9%. Employment also expanded in the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands.

By contrast, Andalusia and the Canary Islands experienced declines in tourism employment during the quarter. The largest reported decrease occurred in Ceuta and Melilla, where employment fell by 15.4%.

These regional differences suggest that employment growth is not distributed evenly across Spain’s tourism economy. Destinations with different tourism profiles, seasonal patterns and economic structures are experiencing contrasting labour market developments.

For tourism businesses and destination organisations, the third-quarter figures provide an important indication of the sector’s employment capacity and changing workforce structure. With more than 3.25 million people employed and permanent contracts continuing to expand, tourism remains a major contributor to Spain’s labour market, even as regional disparities and seasonal employment patterns persist.

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