Impact of the Covid-19 crisis on labor in the tourism sector in Spain: territorial and gender perspectives

Abstract

The Spanish tourism sector, and specifically its labor force, has been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to official data, the aftermaths are variated concerning diversity of regions, territorial typologies, and segments of the tourism industry. In addition, differential impacts can be observed by sex. This paper deepens into the impacts, both territorial and gendered, in tourism employment as a consequence of the first wave of the pandemic (spring 2020). Selected structural variables related, both to the characteristics of the territories and to the activity, have been considered. The first step in the study has been setting up a database concerning structural and short-term indicators, at the provincial and municipal levels. Thematic cartography and principal component analysis have been carried out, complemented with spatial autocorrelation analysis (Moran's Index). The study reveals that highly specialized tourist locations (sun and beach places), were very vulnerable, related to the drop of the international demand. On the contrary, rural mountain areas have shown high levels of resilience, according to the preferences of national tourism during the summer of 2020. Female labor in the tourist industry also experienced a significant decrease, although its behavior is quite similar to the activity as a whole.