Tourists crowd Palma de Mallorca's Arenal beach on the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca July 25, 2011. Spain was host to 24.8 million foreign tourists in the first half of 2011, a 7.5% increase over the same period in 2010, according to figures from the Spanish Institute for Tourist Studies. REUTERS/Enrique Calvo (SPAIN - Tags: TRAVEL SOCIETY) - RTR2PA0I

TOURISM accounted for 16.2% of all Spanish jobs in 2015, a new study has shown.

A substantial 937,500 jobs in Spain were directly linked to tourism last year, 5.2% of the overall number, according to The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

When jobs indirectly linked to tourism are included, such as hotel suppliers or airport catering, the figure reaches 2.9 million.

The WTTC predicts the overall number will rise by 2.4% in 2016 to 2,970,500 jobs.

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