Record tourism fails to boost jobs or wages, says CCOO
The union warns of Spain’s and the Canary Islands’ high tourism dependence and says the sector’s structural precariousness—especially in hospitality—does not guarantee stable, quality jobs.
The tourism record registered in Spain in 2025 is not translating into a real improvement in workers’ conditions, a situation that hits especially hard the regions that depend heavily on tourism, such as the Canary Islands.
The trade union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) highlighted this in its annual tourism outlook, noting that 95 % of salaried hospitality workers earn below the national average wage, despite the sector’s full post‑pandemic recovery.
“The tourism boom is not delivering decent, stable employment for the people who keep the industry running,” the union warned.
Spain closed 2025 with 97 million international tourists, generating €135 billion in spending – 12.6 % of national GDP.
The CCOO Services report adds that seasonality, part‑time contracts and low wages remain structural features of the sector, which employs roughly three million people nationwide.
During the high season, 300 000 jobs were created, but by year‑end only 40 000 were retained, after about 100 000 positions disappeared in November, underscoring the lack of job stability.
In the Canary Islands, 16.8 % of total employment depends directly on tourism, placing the archipelago alongside the Balearic Islands as the most tourism‑exposed regions. Hospitality also serves as a key entry point for migrant workers and is highly feminised, with 33 % of jobs being part‑time.
CCOO also points to a growing imbalance between wages and corporate profits:
- From 2019 to 2023, the share of labour costs fell from 33 % to 31 %, while business surplus rose from 20 % to 23 %.
- Hotel investment grew 28 % in 2025, concentrating in the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and Barcelona, with a marked shift toward luxury establishments.
“This tourism model is putting increasing pressure on territory and public services, especially in the Canary Islands, without guaranteeing stable, quality employment,” the union said.
Union demands
CCOO Services calls for:
- Strengthening social dialogue at the autonomous‑community level.
- Dignifying wages and reducing both temporality and part‑time contracts.
- Regulating the use of fixed‑term discontinuous contracts and outsourcing.
- Promoting occupational health policies, training, and gender equality.
- Introducing tourist taxes in oversaturated areas.
- Launching a Hotel Industry Pact to move toward a more sustainable tourism model that provides decent jobs—particularly crucial for regions like the Canary Islands that are heavily dependent on tourism.