One in three new jobs globally will be tourism-related
Global tourism expected to generate $2.1 trillion in 2025, exceeding 2019's $1.9 trillion peak by $164 billion despite modest US growth of 0.7%. Europe dominates with five of world's ten most powerful tourism markets; China projected to grow 22.7% while Middle East emerges as fastest-growing region.
- Global tourism projected to reach $2.1 trillion in 2025, exceeding 2019's $1.9 trillion peak by $164 billion
- Europe holds five of the world's ten most powerful tourism markets by GDP contribution
- China expected to grow 22.7 percent in 2025, adding $260 billion to its tourism sector
- Tourism sector will support 371 million jobs in 2025; by 2035, one in eight global jobs will be tourism-related
- US international visitor spending projected to fall $12.5 billion in 2025, limiting growth to 0.7 percent
The World Travel & Tourism Council forecasts tourism will reach $2.1 trillion in 2025, surpassing pre-pandemic records, with Europe maintaining leadership and emerging markets showing strong growth.
Rome hosted the World Travel & Tourism Council's 25th Global Summit on September 29th, and the numbers arriving from the gathering were staggering. The organization released its latest economic impact report, and it painted a picture of an industry that has not only recovered from the pandemic but is now surpassing what came before. Tourism is projected to generate $2.1 trillion globally in 2025—a record that exceeds the previous high of $1.9 trillion set in 2019 by $164 billion.
Europe's return as the summit's host for the first time since the pandemic was symbolic of something larger: the region's continued dominance in global travel. Five of the world's ten most powerful tourism markets by contribution to GDP are European. Italy, hosting as a G7 nation and having led the first G7 tourism ministers' meeting the previous year, exemplifies this strength. The Italian tourism sector reached $248.3 billion in 2024, driven by robust international visitor spending and a thriving meetings and events segment. Germany, the world's third most powerful tourism market, contributed $525 billion to its economy. France, the most visited country on Earth, generated over $289 billion, while Spain, the second most visited, added $270 billion. Even the United Kingdom, which saw international visitor spending decline by $2.2 billion, still contributed $367 billion to its economy.
But the story extends far beyond Europe. The United States remains the single largest tourism market, contributing $2.6 trillion to its GDP in 2024. Yet there is a cautionary note: international visitor spending in the US is expected to fall by $12.5 billion in 2025, leaving growth at just 0.7 percent. The WTTC warns that without aggressive destination promotion, traveler-friendly policies, and reduced visa costs, American competitiveness could erode. China, the world's second largest market, generated $1.64 trillion in 2024 and is forecast to grow 22.7 percent in 2025, adding $260 billion and cementing its role as a critical engine of global tourism. Japan, the fifth largest market, is expected to add another $13.8 billion to its 2024 total of $310.5 billion.
The Middle East has emerged as one of the fastest-growing regions, with Saudi Arabia leading the charge through surging international visitor spending and record-breaking infrastructure investment. Capital is flowing toward airports, cruise terminals, and cutting-edge hospitality projects as the region pursues its ambition to become a global tourism hub. Gloria Guevara, the WTTC's interim director general, framed the moment this way: the United States remains dominant, China is roaring back, Europe is advancing steadily, and emerging destinations across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa are posting record growth.
The employment picture is equally striking. In 2024, the tourism sector supported 357 million jobs worldwide. That number is expected to climb to 371 million in 2025. By 2035, one in every eight jobs globally will be tied to tourism—a shift that will create 91 million new positions, with the majority concentrated in Asia-Pacific. This means that one in three new jobs created globally over the next decade will be tourism-related. Global investment in the sector topped $1 trillion in 2024, growing at 9.9 percent annually and expected to accelerate further. The United States, China, Saudi Arabia, and France accounted for more than half a trillion dollars of that investment. Italy alone attracted $11.4 billion in euros during 2024, positioning itself as one of Europe's most attractive destinations for sustainable and innovative tourism development.
What emerges from these figures is a portrait of an industry that has fundamentally shifted how people allocate their resources. Tourism is now growing faster than the consumer goods sector—a sign that experiences have begun to outweigh material possessions in the priorities of travelers worldwide. The sector's resilience and expansion suggest that the appetite for travel, for discovery, for connection across borders, remains one of the most durable forces in the global economy.
Notable Quotes
The United States remains the largest market, China is returning with strength, Europe is advancing steadily, and destinations in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa are posting record growth.— Gloria Guevara, interim director general of the WTTC
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that Europe is hosting this summit again for the first time since the pandemic?
It's a signal. The summit location isn't arbitrary—it's a statement about where power and recovery are centered. Europe hosting means the region has reasserted itself as the leader in global tourism, not just in numbers but in setting the direction for the industry.
The US is still the largest market by far, yet its growth is projected at only 0.7 percent. That seems fragile.
It is. The WTTC is essentially saying that dominance without growth is vulnerability. If the US doesn't actively compete—through better visa policies, destination marketing, cost reduction—it could lose ground to China, which is growing at 22.7 percent. That's not a small gap.
One in three new jobs globally will be tourism-related by 2035. Does that feel sustainable?
It depends on what those jobs look like. The number is impressive, but the quality matters. Are these stable, well-paying positions or precarious service work? The report doesn't say, but that's the real question beneath the headline.
China adding $260 billion in a single year—how does that reshape the industry?
It reorients it. China becomes not just a market but a destination-setter. Chinese travelers' preferences, their spending patterns, their expectations—these now shape how the entire industry operates. That's a fundamental shift in power.
The Middle East is investing heavily in infrastructure. Is this sustainable growth or a bubble?
It's too early to say. Saudi Arabia is betting that tourism can diversify its economy away from oil. The investment is real, the ambition is clear, but whether it translates into lasting competitive advantage depends on execution and whether the region can attract and retain talent in hospitality.
Why does the report emphasize that tourism is growing faster than consumer goods?
Because it's telling us something about human values. People are choosing experiences over things. That's not just an economic trend—it's a cultural one. It suggests that travel, connection, and discovery have become central to how people define a good life.