Population changes and migration in Spain during the Covid-19 pandemic: the resilience of tourist municipalities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/estgeogr.2024.1154Keywords:
geography, population change, mobility patterns, tourism, Spain, COVID-19Abstract
his research has analysed the changes in population dynamics and mobility patterns in Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a novel approach that distinguishes between tourist and non-tourist areas, and between coastal and inland tourist areas. The relevance of this study lies in the importance of the tourism sector in the Spanish economy and the impact that the pandemic has had on this industry, which has affected the employment and economic situation of a large part of the population living in tourist areas. Using population data for Spanish municipalities during the period of the pandemic, an ordinary least squares regression analysis has been carried out to evaluate the trends observed. The results indicate that urban municipalities tended to experience lower migration balances than non-urban municipalities, in clear contrast to the situation during the years prior to the pandemic. In addition, it was observed that medium-sized municipalities varied according to their tourist and/or coastal character. The main conclusions of this study are that the pandemic has had a significant impact on population dynamics and mobility patterns in Spain, and that the distinction between tourist and non-tourist areas is relevant to understand these changes.
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