Tourism Employment Stabilises in Alicante with Over 107,000 Workers in 2024

2024 has come to an end with record numbers of foreign tourists in Alicante and the Comunitat, as well as passengers at the airport, visitor spending, and social security affiliations in a key sector for the regional economy.

For the first time, the Comunitat has closed a year with over 300,000 employed in the tourism industry, marking an 11.7% growth compared to 2023 and the highest figure in the historical series, according to the latest report by Turisme Comunitat Valenciana regarding the evolution of the Active Population Survey (EPA).

The boost from Valencia, which adds 30% more employed to the sector year-on-year, has led to these positive figures, with Alicante remaining stable. While Castellón has reduced its number of workers by 16%, the Costa Blanca holds steady, recording an annual average of 107,100 employed in the tourism industry.

This represents a very slight decline compared to 2023, of just 0.4%, meaning the number of workers remains virtually the same year-on-year, despite the last annual increase in the fourth quarter of 2024, reaching 111,000 workers.

The average across the four quarters places Alicante as the second province behind Valencia in terms of tourism employment, while the unemployment rate remains high at 13.8%.

Employment growth in restaurant and food stall-related jobs stands out, increasing by 6.7%, while these, along with bars and beverage establishments, expand their workforce by 3%, according to data from the report by Turismo.

The Minister of Tourism, Marián Cano, highlights this growth led by the Comunitat and assures that "these are very good results that confirm that the tourism sector is not only an important engine for the economy but also for employment."

Cano emphasised that, moreover, "this growth in tourism employment confirms that the Comunitat Valenciana is, once again, facing a record year," and these figures support, in her view, that "the destination is moving towards a higher quality and more diversified tourism model, in line with the tourism policies promoted by the current Consell."

Regarding the overall Comunitat, those employed in tourism-related activities, including transport, accommodation, catering, travel operators and agencies, vehicle rental, culture, and leisure, increased in the Comunitat Valenciana by 31,550 people over the past year.

The variation in workers has been positive across all tourism branches. In hospitality, the increase was 13.6% with 174,000 employees in food and beverage services, representing 20,900 more employed than the 2023 average. In accommodation services, the number of employees rose to 32,200, 7.1% higher than in 2023, which in absolute terms means 2,200 more employed and 4,200 compared to the figures of 2019.