Andalucia’s tourism sector has experienced a major upswing in recent months. Employment increased by 50%, which could signal a record-breaking summer.
This growth underscores the region’s increasing reliance on tourism to drive its economy.
Andalucía led Spain in tourism-related employment growth in January 2025, adding 13,671 new jobs – a 4.8% increase compared to the previous year.
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This increase brought the number of tourism employees in the region up to 299160, which is 17.2% of the total national total.


The upward trend continued into December 2024, with Andalucía again leading the nation by adding 12,943 tourism jobs, marking a 4.3% year-over-year increase.
By 2024, 312,081 people will be employed in this sector.
Overall, Andalucía closed 2024 with 451,488 people employed in tourism, representing an 11.9% increase from 2023.
This number includes 372,147 employees who are salaried and 79341 workers who are self-employed.
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The tourism industry employed 2936,697 people in total, an increase of 9.7% over the previous year.
Arturo Bernal, the regional Minister of Tourism, emphasized the sector’s significance, stating that tourism is the ‘primary employment engine’ for Andalucía.
He noted that the region had its lowest rate of unemployment in 17-years, with almost half a milllion people employed in tourism.
Bernal also praised the dedication of these workers, referring to them as ‘our best ambassadors’.