The Maritime Sector Generates 300,000 Jobs in Andalucia

THE MARITIME sector, also known as ‘the blue economy’, generates 300,000 jobs in Andalucia and 17,000 million euros, which represents 10.5% of the region’s GDP, only two per cent less than tourism. These are the main data extracted from the report ‘The Blue Economy in Andalucia’ prepared by the Confederation of Andalucian Entrepreneurs (CEA).

These data would mean that one in 10 people employed in Andalucia would have a job related to the sea and the oceans. As reported by Malaga Hoy, Mar Recuna, the regent of the Maritime Marine Cluster of Andalucia, has highlighted that the region “is at the forefront of opportunities for job creation” in the maritime sector, a clearly emerging sector since the estimates of the European Union is that this sector will generate 10.8 million jobs by 2030. “At twice the speed of the rest of the economy,” said Elías Bendodo, Minister of the Presidency of the Junta de Andalucía during the presentation. In this sense, he added that he hopes that Andalucia will be “the head of this growth in Europe” and that the Andalucian government will work in this regard.

Malaga ranks as the leading Andalucian port in cruise traffic and fifth in Spain, after registering traffic of 507,421 passengers in 2018. This represents 51% of the total number of Andalucian cruise passengers. Behind it is the port of Bahía de Cádiz, which registers 42% of them. A significant fact is that 57.5% of tourists who arrive in Andalucia annually do so by sea. Despite these findings, Andalucian ports are still far from those of the Balearic Islands, Barcelona and Las Palmas, who are national leaders.