Tourism hits a milestone with almost one in five employed people in Malaga working in the sector

Just under 20 out of every 100 employed people in the province worked in the tourism sector in the second quarter of the year, new data shows.

Some 145,434 employees served visitors coming to Malaga and the Costa del Sol, which is 12.1% more than in the same period last year and a record figure. Although key hotel indicators such as passenger arrival numbers and overnight stays in the most important months of the year, July and August, have registered a decline, employment has maintained the upward trend of the first half of the year, the figures show.

"Throughout the second quarter, we have seen continued growth in the tourism sector, which demonstrates the solid performance and strength of the tourism industry and the obvious weight that this sector has on other areas of the economy of the province," managing director of Turismo Costa del Sol Antonio Diaz said.

This came ahead of the busiest period for this industry, which is the third quarter. However, some in the sector said the growth in demand and, therefore, the greater need for staff is occurring outside the high season. Sector sources said they are confident this will happen in the final stretch of the year.

A total of 74.5% of the people employed in the tourism sector work in hospitality, according to the statistics. "The data shows that 79.8% of those employed in tourism are of Spanish nationality, reflecting the important participation of the local population in this important sector," industry experts pointed out.

Figures for Social Security registrations put the number of workers in hospitality at 77,286; meanwhile there are 19,765 in tourist transport; 27,854 in accommodation; 15,256 in leisure activities; 3,115 in travel agencies and tour operators; and 2,108 working in the car rental sector.

"These results show the positive impact of tourism in the province. The increase in employment reflects the fundamental role of tourism in the generation of employment and in the economic boost of the Costa del Sol," Diaz said. "The contribution of tourism to our economy is undeniable, with 14 million tourists and an economic impact that exceeds 19,000 million." The figures also show that 84% of employees in this industry are salaried, almost seven out of ten have permanent contracts and 84% work full time.

The hospitality sector leads in job creation. June broke the record for employment in the province in the hospitality sector, smashing the all-time high of August 2023, according to government data. Bars and restaurants throughout Malaga generated 106,820 jobs in June, a growth that points towards it possibly reaching 115,000 in July.

The Mahos hospitality business association in Malaga pointed out the leading role of the province, which accounts for 31.3% of the total number of jobs generated in Andalucía, much more than Seville, in second, with 63,776. It pointed out that "this mark is achieved in a context of increases in all the provinces of Andalucía, which added a total of 345,423 workers in June, a year-on-year increase of 4.1%".

Mahos president Javier Frutos said the figures "show the good health of a sector that is the basis of the tourist industry, as it represents approximately 70% of the total employment generated". However, he pointed out that the recovery of profitability continues to be a struggle, with the sector affected by increases in energy and labour costs.