The impact and growth of tourism

• 1959 mass tourism led to significant growth in the Spanish economy as well as considerable social change.
• 1959 - 4 million tourists arrived in Spain contributing $128 million to the economy
• 1965 - 14 million tourist were holidaying annually in Spain. Contributed more than $1 billion to the Spanish economy
• 1975 - more than 30 million tourists spent $3.5 billion.
• Costa Brava was the first destination for tourists, but by early 1960's, tourists were visiting locations all along the Spanish Medieterranean coast
• Tourist industry helped rejuvenate the parts of Spain that was trapped in extreme poverty by injecting foreign money into areas that had seen little economic growth before the civil war.
• tourism was beneficial in southern spain where the traditional agricultural economy was boosted by tourism.
• growth of tourism impacted female employment rates. 1950 - 16% of women working. 1974 - 46% of women were working.
• 1970's- there was an increase in tourists arriving by car and a new major highway was constructed along the Mediterranean coast.
• tourist industry created jobs in many sectors of the Spanish economy. Construction boomed as hotels and restaurants were built along the coast from the Pyrenees to Gibraltar.
• Thousands of men left conservative villages to work on construction sites.
• young women left their villages to work as maids in the hotels