Tourism in the regions of southern Catalonia is responsible for almost 110,000 jobs at some 8,000 establishments along the Costa Daurada and in the Terres de l'Ebre. The area has over 150,000 hotel rooms, not to mention numerous second homes. This economic activity contributes 20% of the GDP of these regions and each year sees approximately 4½ million tourists who spend over 30 million overnight stays. It has first-rate leisure facilities, such as PortAventura, which receives over 3.5 million visitors each year.
The Costa Daurada and Terres de l'Ebre are ahead of destinations such as Cuba, Jamaica and Kenya in terms of annual number of visitors.
Tourism is concentrated on the coast and in towns like Tarragona, Reus and natural inland areas. Sports and nautical activities in Terres de l'Ebre, rural tourism, walking, cycling, viniculture and natural and cultural tourism have all served to de-seasonalize tourism. UNESCO has declared three heritage sites in the region, the archaeological remains of Tarragona, ancient cave art and the monastery of Poblet, all of which attract thousands of visitors each year.
Employment opportunities
There are a variety of job opportunities in this sector and graduates in tourism are highly regarded. The professional areas those with training in this field might enter include:
- Accommodation, including managerial positions in hotels, spas, campsites, rural accommodation, holiday clubs and estate agencies
- Travel agency management, wholesalers and booking offices
- Tourist information
- Museums, theme parks, water parks, natural parks, golf courses, yacht clubs, casinos, discotheques, spas, congress organization companies, adventure sports companies, recreational complexes, etc.
- Management and administration of public institutions, consulting companies, advertising agencies and tourist associations
- Tourism research
The CEICS research structures include a job bank to help graduates find work and to attract talent.