The tourism economy in Spain, 1900-1939: new sources, new methodologies and new results

Abstract

[Abstract]: This paper explores the economic dimension of Spain's tourism resources during the first third of the twentieth century using new quantitative and qualitative evidence. With this aim firstly critically analyses available historical sources and use them to create a new series of tourism indicators. Secondly looks at how important tourism was to the Spanish economy in the early twentieth century, as reflected in the few known macro-magnitudes corresponding to the period 1900-1939, and quantifies the country’s tourism resources using the accounting records of related economic activities. And, finally analyses and quantifies the key areas of tourism stock mentioned above. The information available has made it possible to present new series of statistics for accommodation and spa resources and tourism brokering in preCivil War Spain.