Spain's hospitality businesses can apply for grants to improve energy efficiency

The application period for grants is open until 30 September. Business owners wishing to take part can submit their applications via the Ministry of Industry and Tourism's online portal. They may be eligible for financial support ranging from 5,000 to 11,000 euros per establishment.

"The aim is to facilitate a reduction in energy use and emissions, lower businesses' operating costs and strengthen the competitiveness of a sector that is strategic for the Spanish economy," the government says.

The initiative is part of the ministry's strategy to accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable model of tourism from an environmental, economic and social perspective, while supporting businesses in their modernisation process.

The hospitality industry accounts for around 40% of tourism-related businesses and generates around 60% of employment in the sector, which is why "modernising facilities will help improve the energy efficiency of businesses, reduce their energy bills and strengthen their ability to offer a higher quality of service".

In the case of the Costa del Sol, the hospitality sector is a key industry that has reached a record figure of over 153,000 registered workers and comprises more than 10,000 accommodation and catering establishments.

Suffice it to say that almost seven out of ten people employed in tourism work in the hospitality sector, according to data from the Turismo Costa del Sol employment barometer for the 2025 financial year.

Indeed, the latest of these reports, covering the first half of this year, confirms a record level of job creation, exceeding for the first time the threshold of employing 21% of the province's workforce.

Last year, the province almost reached this figure during the summer. It has now exceeded it during the low season.

This shows that the province's long-standing challenge, seasonality, is under control. This also explains why the proportion of temporary contracts has fallen, as per figures from the INE national institute of statistics.

Between April and June, the province's leading industry employed 176,450 people. The statistics confirm that the increases in tourist arrivals and revenue have been accompanied by a rise in tourism employment, which, in the case of registered workers, stood at 4.1% compared with the same period last year.

It also shows that the hospitality sector holds the highest demand for labour, accounting for 66.8% of all tourism workers in the province, with 82,164 employees, an increase of 3.3%.

The accommodation sector comes next, with nearly 31,000 employees and the second-highest rise in job creation at 6.6%. Only leisure providers have exceeded this rate of growth, with a 9.5% increase, now employing more than 17,000 people.

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