tourism industry value

The future of tourism: Bridging the labor gap, enhancing customer experience

As travel resumes and builds momentum, it’s becoming clear that tourism is resilient—there is an enduring desire to travel. Against all odds, international tourism rebounded in 2022: visitor numbers to Europe and the Middle East climbed to around 80 percent of 2019 levels, and the Americas recovered about 65 percent of prepandemic visitors 1 “Tourism set to return to pre-pandemic levels in some regions in 2023,” United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), January 17, 2023. —a number made more significant because it was reached without travelers from China, which had the world’s largest outbound travel market before the pandemic. 2 “ Outlook for China tourism 2023: Light at the end of the tunnel ,” McKinsey, May 9, 2023.

Recovery and growth are likely to continue. According to estimates from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for 2023, international tourist arrivals could reach 80 to 95 percent of prepandemic levels depending on the extent of the economic slowdown, travel recovery in Asia–Pacific, and geopolitical tensions, among other factors. 3 “Tourism set to return to pre-pandemic levels in some regions in 2023,” United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), January 17, 2023. Similarly, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts that by the end of 2023, nearly half of the 185 countries in which the organization conducts research will have either recovered to prepandemic levels or be within 95 percent of full recovery. 4 “Global travel and tourism catapults into 2023 says WTTC,” World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), April 26, 2023.

Longer-term forecasts also point to optimism for the decade ahead. Travel and tourism GDP is predicted to grow, on average, at 5.8 percent a year between 2022 and 2032, outpacing the growth of the overall economy at an expected 2.7 percent a year. 5 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 , WTTC, August 2022.

So, is it all systems go for travel and tourism? Not really. The industry continues to face a prolonged and widespread labor shortage. After losing 62 million travel and tourism jobs in 2020, labor supply and demand remain out of balance. 6 “WTTC research reveals Travel & Tourism’s slow recovery is hitting jobs and growth worldwide,” World Travel & Tourism Council, October 6, 2021. Today, in the European Union, 11 percent of tourism jobs are likely to go unfilled; in the United States, that figure is 7 percent. 7 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 : Staff shortages, WTTC, August 2022.

There has been an exodus of tourism staff, particularly from customer-facing roles, to other sectors, and there is no sign that the industry will be able to bring all these people back. 8 Travel & Tourism economic impact 2022 : Staff shortages, WTTC, August 2022. Hotels, restaurants, cruises, airports, and airlines face staff shortages that can translate into operational, reputational, and financial difficulties. If unaddressed, these shortages may constrain the industry’s growth trajectory.

The current labor shortage may have its roots in factors related to the nature of work in the industry. Chronic workplace challenges, coupled with the effects of COVID-19, have culminated in an industry struggling to rebuild its workforce. Generally, tourism-related jobs are largely informal, partly due to high seasonality and weak regulation. And conditions such as excessively long working hours, low wages, a high turnover rate, and a lack of social protection tend to be most pronounced in an informal economy. Additionally, shift work, night work, and temporary or part-time employment are common in tourism.

The industry may need to revisit some fundamentals to build a far more sustainable future: either make the industry more attractive to talent (and put conditions in place to retain staff for longer periods) or improve products, services, and processes so that they complement existing staffing needs or solve existing pain points.

One solution could be to build a workforce with the mix of digital and interpersonal skills needed to keep up with travelers’ fast-changing requirements. The industry could make the most of available technology to provide customers with a digitally enhanced experience, resolve staff shortages, and improve working conditions.

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Complementing concierges with chatbots.

The pace of technological change has redefined customer expectations. Technology-driven services are often at customers’ fingertips, with no queues or waiting times. By contrast, the airport and airline disruption widely reported in the press over the summer of 2022 points to customers not receiving this same level of digital innovation when traveling.

Imagine the following travel experience: it’s 2035 and you start your long-awaited honeymoon to a tropical island. A virtual tour operator and a destination travel specialist booked your trip for you; you connected via videoconference to make your plans. Your itinerary was chosen with the support of generative AI , which analyzed your preferences, recommended personalized travel packages, and made real-time adjustments based on your feedback.

Before leaving home, you check in online and QR code your luggage. You travel to the airport by self-driving cab. After dropping off your luggage at the self-service counter, you pass through security and the biometric check. You access the premier lounge with the QR code on the airline’s loyalty card and help yourself to a glass of wine and a sandwich. After your flight, a prebooked, self-driving cab takes you to the resort. No need to check in—that was completed online ahead of time (including picking your room and making sure that the hotel’s virtual concierge arranged for red roses and a bottle of champagne to be delivered).

While your luggage is brought to the room by a baggage robot, your personal digital concierge presents the honeymoon itinerary with all the requested bookings. For the romantic dinner on the first night, you order your food via the restaurant app on the table and settle the bill likewise. So far, you’ve had very little human interaction. But at dinner, the sommelier chats with you in person about the wine. The next day, your sightseeing is made easier by the hotel app and digital guide—and you don’t get lost! With the aid of holographic technology, the virtual tour guide brings historical figures to life and takes your sightseeing experience to a whole new level. Then, as arranged, a local citizen meets you and takes you to their home to enjoy a local family dinner. The trip is seamless, there are no holdups or snags.

This scenario features less human interaction than a traditional trip—but it flows smoothly due to the underlying technology. The human interactions that do take place are authentic, meaningful, and add a special touch to the experience. This may be a far-fetched example, but the essence of the scenario is clear: use technology to ease typical travel pain points such as queues, misunderstandings, or misinformation, and elevate the quality of human interaction.

Travel with less human interaction may be considered a disruptive idea, as many travelers rely on and enjoy the human connection, the “service with a smile.” This will always be the case, but perhaps the time is right to think about bringing a digital experience into the mix. The industry may not need to depend exclusively on human beings to serve its customers. Perhaps the future of travel is physical, but digitally enhanced (and with a smile!).

Digital solutions are on the rise and can help bridge the labor gap

Digital innovation is improving customer experience across multiple industries. Car-sharing apps have overcome service-counter waiting times and endless paperwork that travelers traditionally had to cope with when renting a car. The same applies to time-consuming hotel check-in, check-out, and payment processes that can annoy weary customers. These pain points can be removed. For instance, in China, the Huazhu Hotels Group installed self-check-in kiosks that enable guests to check in or out in under 30 seconds. 9 “Huazhu Group targets lifestyle market opportunities,” ChinaTravelNews, May 27, 2021.

Technology meets hospitality

In 2019, Alibaba opened its FlyZoo Hotel in Huangzhou, described as a “290-room ultra-modern boutique, where technology meets hospitality.” 1 “Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has a hotel run almost entirely by robots that can serve food and fetch toiletries—take a look inside,” Business Insider, October 21, 2019; “FlyZoo Hotel: The hotel of the future or just more technology hype?,” Hotel Technology News, March 2019. The hotel was the first of its kind that instead of relying on traditional check-in and key card processes, allowed guests to manage reservations and make payments entirely from a mobile app, to check-in using self-service kiosks, and enter their rooms using facial-recognition technology.

The hotel is run almost entirely by robots that serve food and fetch toiletries and other sundries as needed. Each guest room has a voice-activated smart assistant to help guests with a variety of tasks, from adjusting the temperature, lights, curtains, and the TV to playing music and answering simple questions about the hotel and surroundings.

The hotel was developed by the company’s online travel platform, Fliggy, in tandem with Alibaba’s AI Labs and Alibaba Cloud technology with the goal of “leveraging cutting-edge tech to help transform the hospitality industry, one that keeps the sector current with the digital era we’re living in,” according to the company.

Adoption of some digitally enhanced services was accelerated during the pandemic in the quest for safer, contactless solutions. During the Winter Olympics in Beijing, a restaurant designed to keep physical contact to a minimum used a track system on the ceiling to deliver meals directly from the kitchen to the table. 10 “This Beijing Winter Games restaurant uses ceiling-based tracks,” Trendhunter, January 26, 2022. Customers around the world have become familiar with restaurants using apps to display menus, take orders, and accept payment, as well as hotels using robots to deliver luggage and room service (see sidebar “Technology meets hospitality”). Similarly, theme parks, cinemas, stadiums, and concert halls are deploying digital solutions such as facial recognition to optimize entrance control. Shanghai Disneyland, for example, offers annual pass holders the option to choose facial recognition to facilitate park entry. 11 “Facial recognition park entry,” Shanghai Disney Resort website.

Automation and digitization can also free up staff from attending to repetitive functions that could be handled more efficiently via an app and instead reserve the human touch for roles where staff can add the most value. For instance, technology can help customer-facing staff to provide a more personalized service. By accessing data analytics, frontline staff can have guests’ details and preferences at their fingertips. A trainee can become an experienced concierge in a short time, with the help of technology.

Apps and in-room tech: Unused market potential

According to Skift Research calculations, total revenue generated by guest apps and in-room technology in 2019 was approximately $293 million, including proprietary apps by hotel brands as well as third-party vendors. 1 “Hotel tech benchmark: Guest-facing technology 2022,” Skift Research, November 2022. The relatively low market penetration rate of this kind of tech points to around $2.4 billion in untapped revenue potential (exhibit).

Even though guest-facing technology is available—the kind that can facilitate contactless interactions and offer travelers convenience and personalized service—the industry is only beginning to explore its potential. A report by Skift Research shows that the hotel industry, in particular, has not tapped into tech’s potential. Only 11 percent of hotels and 25 percent of hotel rooms worldwide are supported by a hotel app or use in-room technology, and only 3 percent of hotels offer keyless entry. 12 “Hotel tech benchmark: Guest-facing technology 2022,” Skift Research, November 2022. Of the five types of technology examined (guest apps and in-room tech; virtual concierge; guest messaging and chatbots; digital check-in and kiosks; and keyless entry), all have relatively low market-penetration rates (see sidebar “Apps and in-room tech: Unused market potential”).

While apps, digitization, and new technology may be the answer to offering better customer experience, there is also the possibility that tourism may face competition from technological advances, particularly virtual experiences. Museums, attractions, and historical sites can be made interactive and, in some cases, more lifelike, through AR/VR technology that can enhance the physical travel experience by reconstructing historical places or events.

Up until now, tourism, arguably, was one of a few sectors that could not easily be replaced by tech. It was not possible to replicate the physical experience of traveling to another place. With the emerging metaverse , this might change. Travelers could potentially enjoy an event or experience from their sofa without any logistical snags, and without the commitment to traveling to another country for any length of time. For example, Google offers virtual tours of the Pyramids of Meroë in Sudan via an immersive online experience available in a range of languages. 13 Mariam Khaled Dabboussi, “Step into the Meroë pyramids with Google,” Google, May 17, 2022. And a crypto banking group, The BCB Group, has created a metaverse city that includes representations of some of the most visited destinations in the world, such as the Great Wall of China and the Statue of Liberty. According to BCB, the total cost of flights, transfers, and entry for all these landmarks would come to $7,600—while a virtual trip would cost just over $2. 14 “What impact can the Metaverse have on the travel industry?,” Middle East Economy, July 29, 2022.

The metaverse holds potential for business travel, too—the meeting, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) sector in particular. Participants could take part in activities in the same immersive space while connecting from anywhere, dramatically reducing travel, venue, catering, and other costs. 15 “ Tourism in the metaverse: Can travel go virtual? ,” McKinsey, May 4, 2023.

The allure and convenience of such digital experiences make offering seamless, customer-centric travel and tourism in the real world all the more pressing.

Three innovations to solve hotel staffing shortages

Is the future contactless.

Given the advances in technology, and the many digital innovations and applications that already exist, there is potential for businesses across the travel and tourism spectrum to cope with labor shortages while improving customer experience. Process automation and digitization can also add to process efficiency. Taken together, a combination of outsourcing, remote work, and digital solutions can help to retain existing staff and reduce dependency on roles that employers are struggling to fill (exhibit).

Depending on the customer service approach and direct contact need, we estimate that the travel and tourism industry would be able to cope with a structural labor shortage of around 10 to 15 percent in the long run by operating more flexibly and increasing digital and automated efficiency—while offering the remaining staff an improved total work package.

Outsourcing and remote work could also help resolve the labor shortage

While COVID-19 pushed organizations in a wide variety of sectors to embrace remote work, there are many hospitality roles that rely on direct physical services that cannot be performed remotely, such as laundry, cleaning, maintenance, and facility management. If faced with staff shortages, these roles could be outsourced to third-party professional service providers, and existing staff could be reskilled to take up new positions.

In McKinsey’s experience, the total service cost of this type of work in a typical hotel can make up 10 percent of total operating costs. Most often, these roles are not guest facing. A professional and digital-based solution might become an integrated part of a third-party service for hotels looking to outsource this type of work.

One of the lessons learned in the aftermath of COVID-19 is that many tourism employees moved to similar positions in other sectors because they were disillusioned by working conditions in the industry . Specialist multisector companies have been able to shuffle their staff away from tourism to other sectors that offer steady employment or more regular working hours compared with the long hours and seasonal nature of work in tourism.

The remaining travel and tourism staff may be looking for more flexibility or the option to work from home. This can be an effective solution for retaining employees. For example, a travel agent with specific destination expertise could work from home or be consulted on an needs basis.

In instances where remote work or outsourcing is not viable, there are other solutions that the hospitality industry can explore to improve operational effectiveness as well as employee satisfaction. A more agile staffing model  can better match available labor with peaks and troughs in daily, or even hourly, demand. This could involve combining similar roles or cross-training staff so that they can switch roles. Redesigned roles could potentially improve employee satisfaction by empowering staff to explore new career paths within the hotel’s operations. Combined roles build skills across disciplines—for example, supporting a housekeeper to train and become proficient in other maintenance areas, or a front-desk associate to build managerial skills.

Where management or ownership is shared across properties, roles could be staffed to cover a network of sites, rather than individual hotels. By applying a combination of these approaches, hotels could reduce the number of staff hours needed to keep operations running at the same standard. 16 “ Three innovations to solve hotel staffing shortages ,” McKinsey, April 3, 2023.

Taken together, operational adjustments combined with greater use of technology could provide the tourism industry with a way of overcoming staffing challenges and giving customers the seamless digitally enhanced experiences they expect in other aspects of daily life.

In an industry facing a labor shortage, there are opportunities for tech innovations that can help travel and tourism businesses do more with less, while ensuring that remaining staff are engaged and motivated to stay in the industry. For travelers, this could mean fewer friendly faces, but more meaningful experiences and interactions.

Urs Binggeli is a senior expert in McKinsey’s Zurich office, Zi Chen is a capabilities and insights specialist in the Shanghai office, Steffen Köpke is a capabilities and insights expert in the Düsseldorf office, and Jackey Yu is a partner in the Hong Kong office.

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Travel & Tourism - Worldwide

• The Travel & Tourism market is projected to experience a significant increase in revenue in the coming years worldwide.
• By 2024, revenue is estimated to reach US$927.30bn and is projected to grow annually at a rate of 3.47%, resulting in a market volume of US$1,063.00bn by 2028.
• The largest market within Travel & Tourism is the Hotels market, which is projected to reach a market volume of US$446.50bn in 2024.
• Looking ahead, the number of users in the Hotels market is expected to increase to 1,397.00m users by 2028.
• In 2024, the user penetration rate was 25.9%, and it is expected to reach 28.1% by 2028.
• The average revenue per user (ARPU) is projected to reach US$0.46k.
• Online sales are expected to account for 76% of total revenue in the Travel & Tourism market by 2028.
• It is worth noting that United States is expected to generate the most revenue in this market, reaching US$199bn in 2024.
• Following the profound ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel and tourism sector demonstrates robust indications of resurgence.

Key regions: Malaysia , Europe , Singapore , Vietnam , United States

Definition:

The Travel & Tourism market encompasses a diverse range of accommodation services catering to the needs and preferences of travelers. This dynamic market includes package holidays, hotel accommodations, private vacation rentals, camping experiences, and cruises.

The market consists of five further markets.

• The Cruises market covers multi-day vacation trips on a cruise ship. The Cruises market encompasses exclusively passenger ticket revenues.
• The Vacation Rentals market comprises of private accommodation bookings which includes private holiday homes and houses as well as short-term rental of private rooms or flats.
• The Hotels market includes stays in hotels and professionally run guest houses.
• The Package Holidays market comprises of travel deals that normally contain travel and accommodation sold for one price, although optional further provisions can be included such as catering and tourist services.
• The Camping market includes bookings at camping sites for pitches using tents, campervans, or trailers. These can be associated with big chains or privately managed campsites.

Additional Information:

The main performance indicators of the Travel & Tourism market are revenues, average revenue per user (ARPU), users and user penetration rates. Additionally, online and offline sales channel shares display the distribution of online and offline bookings. The ARPU refers to the average revenue one user generates per year while the revenue represents the total booking volume. Revenues are generated through both online and offline sales channels and include exclusively B2C revenues and users for the above-mentioned markets. Users represent the aggregated number of guests. Each user is only counted once per year. Additional definitions for each market can be found within the respective market pages.

The booking volume includes all booked travels made by users from the selected region, independent of the departure and arrival. The scope includes domestic and outbound travel.

Prominent players in this sector include online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia and Opodo, as well as tour operators such as TUI. Specialized platforms like Hotels.com, Booking.com, and Airbnb facilitate the online booking of hotels and private accommodations, contributing significantly to the market's vibrancy.

For further information on the data displayed, refer to the info button right next to each box.

• Bookings directly via the website of the service provider, travel agencies, online travel agencies (OTAs) or telephone

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• Business trips
• Other forms of trips (e.g. excursions, etc.)

Travel & Tourism

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• Analyst Opinion

The Travel & Tourism market has been experiencing significant growth worldwide, driven by various factors such as increasing disposable income, ease of travel, and desire for unique experiences. Customer preferences: Travelers are increasingly seeking authentic and unique experiences, moving away from traditional tourist attractions to more off-the-beaten-path destinations. This shift in preferences has led to the rise of experiential travel, where immersive cultural experiences and interactions with locals are highly valued. Trends in the market: In the United States, there has been a noticeable trend towards sustainable and eco-friendly travel practices. Travelers are becoming more conscious of their environmental impact and are actively seeking out destinations and accommodations that prioritize sustainability. This has led to the growth of eco-tourism initiatives and the popularity of destinations known for their conservation efforts. Local special circumstances: In Europe, the rise of budget airlines and the Schengen Area agreement have made travel within the region more affordable and convenient. This has resulted in a significant increase in intra-European tourism, with travelers exploring multiple countries in a single trip. The diverse cultural offerings and close proximity of European countries make it an attractive destination for those seeking a mix of history, art, and culinary experiences. Underlying macroeconomic factors: The Asia-Pacific region has seen a surge in outbound tourism, driven by a growing middle class with higher disposable incomes. Countries like China and India have witnessed a significant increase in international travel, with travelers from these markets exploring destinations beyond their borders. This rise in outbound tourism has also led to an influx of international visitors to Asia-Pacific countries, boosting the tourism industry in the region.

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Global Market Size of Travel and Tourism (2017-2021, $ Billion) Share Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Industry: Travel services Current: Market Sizing & Shares The market size of the travel and tourism sector globally reached a value of $631 billion in 2021 The travel and tourism market globally grew by 43% in 2021 as the sector witnessed a recovery in the demand Key travel destinations among travelers globally include Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands, Cusco City, Dubai, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, France, Italy, Istanbul, and Easter Island !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(e){if(void 0!==e.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var a in e.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Global Market Size of Travel and Tourism: Industry Overview

Travel and Tourism is one of the key sectors that play a pivotal role in any Country’s Economy and make a significant contribution to the country’s GDP. This growth in travel and tourism activities globally has led to the rise of travel intermediaries and forms an important part of selling travel products to customers.

The market size of the travel and tourism sector globally reached a value of $631 billion in 2021. In recent years, the rise in the number of online travel intermediaries was aided by the growth in the number of internet users along with the demand for convenience among travelers further supported the rise in the market for online travel Intermediaries.

The travel and tourism market globally grew by 43% in 2021 as the sector witnessed a recovery in the demand after easing the restrictions which were placed on account of the Outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19 and online travel intermediaries’ sharp rise in travel products as the consumers planned their travel activities after the gap of close to two years.

Meanwhile, the growth which the travel and tourism sector was going to see was reversed as the Outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic completely devastated the industry in 2020. During the year 2020, the market value of travel and tourism globally saw a de-growth of a whopping 62%, and the sectors allied with the industry were severely impacted.

Key travel destinations among travelers globally include Machu Picchu, Galapagos Islands, Cusco City, Dubai, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, France, Italy, Istanbul, and Easter Island.

The travel and tourism market across global grew at a compound annual growth rate of negative 13% during the period 2017-2021. The global travel industry along with its allied sectors saw a slump in market value with the pandemic in 2020. Prior, to 2020, the industry was also witnessing slow growth due to low economic growth.

The major companies that have a strong presence in the travel and tourism global market include BCD Travel, Expedia , and Booking.com.

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By Bastian Herre, Veronika Samborska and Max Roser

Tourism has massively increased in recent decades. Aviation has opened up travel from domestic to international. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of international visits had more than doubled since 2000.

Tourism can be important for both the travelers and the people in the countries they visit.

For visitors, traveling can increase their understanding of and appreciation for people in other countries and their cultures.

And in many countries, many people rely on tourism for their income. In some, it is one of the largest industries.

But tourism also has externalities: it contributes to global carbon emissions and can encroach on local environments and cultures.

On this page, you can find data and visualizations on the history and current state of tourism across the world.

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Travel and Tourism

Travel and tourism satellite account for 2018-2022.

The travel and tourism industry—as measured by the real output of goods and services sold directly to visitors—increased 21.0 percent in 2022 after increasing 53.6 percent in 2021, according to the most recent statistics from BEA’s Travel and Tourism Satellite Account.

Data & Articles

• U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 2018–2022 By Hunter Arcand and Paul Kern - Survey of Current Business April 2024
• "U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 2015–2019" By Sarah Osborne - Survey of Current Business December 2020
• "U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 2015-2017" By Sarah Osborne and Seth Markowitz - Survey of Current Business June 2018
• Tourism Satellite Accounts 1998-2019
• Tourism Satellite Accounts Data A complete set of detailed annual statistics for 2017-2021 is coming soon -->
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Measures how much tourists spend and the prices they pay for lodging, airfare, souvenirs, and other travel-related items. These statistics also provide a snapshot of employment in the travel and tourism industries.

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Economic Impact Research

• In 2023, the Travel & Tourism sector contributed 9.1% to the global GDP; an increase of 23.2% from 2022 and only 4.1% below the 2019 level.
• In 2023, there were 27 million new jobs, representing a 9.1% increase compared to 2022, and only 1.4% below the 2019 level.
• Domestic visitor spending rose by 18.1% in 2023, surpassing the 2019 level.
• International visitor spending registered a 33.1% jump in 2023 but remained 14.4% below the 2019 total.

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Why conduct research?

From the outset, our Members realised that hard economic facts were needed to help governments and policymakers truly understand the potential of Travel & Tourism. Measuring the size and growth of Travel & Tourism and its contribution to society, therefore, plays a vital part in underpinning WTTC’s work.

What research does WTTC carry out?

Each year, WTTC and Oxford Economics produce reports covering the economic contribution of our sector in 185 countries, for 26 economic and geographic regions, and for more than 70 cities. We also benchmark Travel & Tourism against other economic sectors and analyse the impact of government policies affecting the sector such as jobs and visa facilitation.

Visit our Research Hub via the button below to find all our Economic Impact Reports, as well as other reports on Travel and Tourism. 

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2020 Travel and Tourism Industry Impact on the U.S. Economy

Total economic output generated by travel and tourism in the united states decreased 50% in 2020 from 2019, decline in travel and tourism gdp accounted for more than half of the decline in u.s. gdp in 2020, decline in total tourism-related employment accounted for more than a third of the total employment decline in the united states in 2020 .

The National Travel and Tourism Office’s (NTTO) Travel & Tourism Satellite Account, produced annually by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, is the official U.S. Government estimate of the economic impact of the travel and tourism industry in the United States. The latest TTSA shows that in Calendar Year 2020:

Total economic output generated by travel and tourism fell $982.5 billion (-50.1%) from 2019 ($1.96 trillion) to 2020 ($978.4 billion). 

• Among those sectors hardest hit, passenger air transportation services output declined by nearly $214.7 billion in 2020, followed by food services and drinking places/restaurants (down $131.1 billion), traveler accommodations (down $124.6 billion), and tourism-related shopping (down $123.5 billion).
• These four sectors accounted for 60.4% of the decline in total tourism-related output in 2020.

Total tourism-related employment declined from 9.5 million in 2019 to 6.3 million in 2020. This decline of 3.2 million in total tourism-related employment accounted for 34.2% of the overall 9.3 million employment decline in the United States from 2019 to 2020. 

•  Among those sectors hardest hit, employment supported by food services and drinking places declined by 972,000 in 2020, followed by traveler accommodations (down 685,000), air transportation services (down 338,000), and participant sports (down 262,000).
• These four sectors accounted for 70.8% of the decline in total tourism-related employment in 2020.

Travel and tourism value added, or GDP, (in nominal terms, not inflation adjusted) declined from $624.7 billion (2.9% of GDP) in 2019 to $356.8 billion (a historic low of 1.7% of GDP) in 2020 .This $267.9 billion decline in travel and tourism GDP accounted for more than half (56.0%) of the overall $478.8 billion decline in U.S. GDP from 2019 to 2020.

Domestic travel demand by resident households declined by 53.2% from 2019 to 2020. At the same time, domestic business travel demand declined by 40.9%; domestic government travel demand declined by 33.6%; and travel demand by nonresidents (international visitors in the United States) declined 82.4% — accounting for a fifth (20.7%) of the overall decline in total travel demand from 2019 to 2020.

Learn more on NTTO’s Travel and Tourism Satellite Account (TTSA) Program Page .  

Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts (TTSAs) allow the United States to measure the relative size and importance of the travel and tourism industry, along with its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). Approved by the United Nations in March 2002 and endorsed by the U.N. Statistical Commission, TTSAs have become the international standard by which travel and tourism is measured. In fact, more than 50 countries around the world use travel and tourism satellite accounting. 

View BEA’s Travel and Tourism Satellite Account .  

Global Tourism - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2024-2029)

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Global Tourism

Industry Revenue

Total value and annual change from . Includes 5-year outlook.

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Trends and Insights

Market size is projected to over the next five years.

Market share concentration for the Global Tourism industry is , which means the top four companies generate of industry revenue.

The average concentration in the sector in Global is .

Products & Services Segmentation

Industry revenue broken down by key product and services lines.

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Table of Contents

About this industry, industry definition, what's included in this industry, industry code, related industries, domestic industries, competitors, complementors, international industries, performance, key takeaways, revenue highlights, employment highlights, business highlights, profit highlights, current performance.

What's driving current industry performance in the Global Tourism industry?

What's driving the Global Tourism industry outlook?

What influences volatility in the Global Tourism industry?

• Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth Matrix

What determines the industry life cycle stage in the Global Tourism industry?

• Industry Life Cycle Matrix

Products and Markets

Products and services.

• Products and Services Segmentation

How are the Global Tourism industry's products and services performing?

What are innovations in the Global Tourism industry's products and services?

Major Markets

• Major Market Segmentation

What influences demand in the Global Tourism industry?

International Trade

• Industry Concentration of Imports by Country
• Industry Concentration of Exports by Country
• Industry Trade Balance by Country

What are the import trends in the Global Tourism industry?

What are the export trends in the Global Tourism industry?

Geographic Breakdown

Business locations.

• Share of Total Industry Establishments by Region ( )

Data Tables

• Number of Establishments by Region ( )
• Share of Establishments vs. Population of Each Region

What regions are businesses in the Global Tourism industry located?

Competitive Forces

Concentration.

• Combined Market Share of the Four Largest Companies in This Industry ( )
• Share of Total Enterprises by Employment Size

What impacts market share in the Global Tourism industry?

Barriers to Entry

What challenges do potential entrants in the Global Tourism industry?

Substitutes

What are substitutes in the Global Tourism industry?

Buyer and Supplier Power

• Upstream Buyers and Downstream Suppliers in the Global Tourism industry

What power do buyers and suppliers have over the Global Tourism industry?

Market Share

Top companies by market share:

• Market share
• Profit Margin

Company Snapshots

Company details, summary, charts and analysis available for

Company Details

• Total revenue
• Total operating income
• Total employees
• Industry market share

Company Summary

• Description
• Brands and trading names
• Other industries

What's influencing the company's performance?

External Environment

External drivers.

What demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the Global Tourism industry?

Regulation and Policy

What regulations impact the Global Tourism industry?

What assistance is available to the Global Tourism industry?

Financial Benchmarks

Cost structure.

• Share of Economy vs. Investment Matrix
• Depreciation

What trends impact cost in the Global Tourism industry?

Financial Ratios

• 3-4 Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
• 15-20 Income Statement Line Items (2018-2023)
• 20-30 Balance Sheet Line Items (2018-2023)
• 7-10 Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
• 1-5 Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
• 3-4 Leverage Ratios (2018-2023)
• 3-5 Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
• 5 Cash Flow and Debt Service Ratios (2018-2023)
• 1 Tax Structure Ratio (2018-2023)

Data tables

• IVA/Revenue ( )
• Imports/Demand ( )
• Exports/Revenue ( )
• Revenue per Employee ( )
• Wages/Revenue ( )
• Employees per Establishment ( )
• Average Wage ( )

Key Statistics

Industry data.

Including values and annual change:

• Revenue ( )
• Establishments ( )
• Enterprises ( )
• Employment ( )
• Exports ( )
• Imports ( )

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the market size of the global tourism industry.

The market size of the Global Tourism industry is measured at in .

How fast is the Global Tourism market projected to grow in the future?

Over the next five years, the Global Tourism market is expected to . See purchase options to view the full report and get access to IBISWorld's forecast for the Global Tourism from up to .

What factors are influencing the Global Tourism industry market trends?

Key drivers of the Global Tourism market include .

What are the main product lines for the Global Tourism market?

The Global Tourism market offers products and services including .

Which companies are the largest players in the Global Tourism industry?

Top companies in the Global Tourism industry, based on the revenue generated within the industry, includes .

How many people are employed in the Global Tourism industry?

The Global Tourism industry has employees in Global in .

How concentrated is the Global Tourism market in Global?

Market share concentration is for the Global Tourism industry, with the top four companies generating of market revenue in Global in . The level of competition is overall, but is highest among smaller industry players.

Methodology

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Tourism Market

Tourism Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2022 - 2032

Market Insights on Tourism covering sales outlook, demand forecast and up-to-date key trends

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Tourism Market Overview

Valued at US$ 10.5 Trillion in 2022, the global tourism market is expected to develop at a CAGR of 5% over the next ten years. By the end of this forecast year in 2032, analysts anticipate the tourism market size would be worth US$ 17.1 Trillion.

Countries such as the United States, France, and other European countries are traditionally famous tourist destinations across the world with an established tourism market. However, in recent years, several lesser-known Asian and African countries have come to the fore as destinations of appeal to foreign tourists. As a result, global tourism service providers are realigning their offerings to capitalize on the potential economic benefits of this shift.

The emergence of new trends such as adventure tourism, art tourism, and so on is projected to boost the global tourism market growth. Rock climbing, mountaineering, excavating, kayaking, and other pursuits are examples of adventure tourism significantly contributing to the tourism market share in recent years. Secondly, the adoption of tourism websites plays a significant role in the management and monetization of all types of tourism. The expanding tendency of social networking sites is also projected to give a promising possibility for tourism market advancement.

In accordance with a travel market analysis report, cultural and pilgrimage tourism are the sectors with the highest exponential growth in Asia, Africa, and South America, while adventure and ecological tourism are the fastest-growing sectors in North America and Europe. Unfortunately, outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola, SARS, and COVID in certain countries, along with geopolitical tensions, are having a significant impact on global tourism market opportunities.

During the years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the global tourism market dealt a near-fatal blow, and the market players' income declined due to severe lockdown circumstances and the suspension of transportation options. However, after the lifting of the lockdown, the tourism business recommenced in 2022 and is expected to return to its previous growth rate in the next one to two years.

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Govt. Initiatives to Bode Well for the Market

Health tourism produces significant cash in emerging nations, allowing them to expand their healthcare operations. As a response, public bodies have increased their engagement through travel and tourism websites in support of healthcare services. For instance, in February 2018, the administration of Thailand announced the requirements for granting smart visas for professionals or entrepreneurs willing to engage in launching new enterprises, which could assist global health tourism service providers in expanding their operations in Thailand.

As per the previous tourism market report, Thailand was ranked as the most popular medical tourist attraction in 2019. Thailand's prominence as one of Asia's most popular dental tourism destinations has contributed to its overall market development.

Increasing per capita income is driving the growth of global tourism market leading to continuous growth in international tourism. Over the last five years, tourism market in emerging economies, especially countries in South America and Asia have driven the global tourism market. Compared to a decade ago, global tourism market has undergone a lot of changes. Emerging economies now account for more market share as compared to developed economies. As per International Travel Association (ITA), the number of international tourists arrivals in the U.S.is expected to grow from 69.8 million in 2013 to 83.8 million by 2018.

Government bodies and organizations such as World Tourism Organization UNWTO are promoting tourism in order to attract diverse tourists across the globe. These initiatives are leading to the growth of global tourism market. Adventure tourism is new concept in tourism market driving the overall tourism market. Further, medical tourism is also a new trend observed in global tourism market. Significant price difference of medical procedures between different countries is driving the trend of medical tourism across the world. Global sports and game events is another driving factor for the global tourism market. People travel to enjoy sports events such as FIFA World Cup 2014, London Olympics 2012 and ICC World Cup 2011. However, disease outbreaks such as Ebola in specific countries affect the global tourism up to large extent. Ebola outbreak in West Africa affected the tourism market in African region.

The global tourism market is segmented on the basis of type, industry products, activities involved and geography. On the basis of type, international tourism and domestic/local tourism are the two major types of tourism market. Along with it, on the basis of purpose of travel or tourism the market for global tourism is segmented into adventure tourism, leisure business travel, conference or seminar travel, business tourism, visiting relatives and friends. The companies providing tourism services offer various products and services to their customer. Thus, the industry products included in the global tourism industry are traveler accommodations, travel arrangement and reservations, air transportation, other local transport such as car rental , food and beverage establishments, recreation and entertainment, gasoline and other retail activities. Further, the industry activities considered within the global tourism market include traveler accommodation services, providing hospitality services to international tourists, airline operation, automotive rental, travel agent and tour arrangement services. Countries such as U.S., Germany and France are popular destinations for global tourism; but in recent years other less well known countries from Asia and Africa have emerged as destinations of interest for international travelers. Thus, tourism service providers are realigning their services in order to reap the economic benefits from this trend

The global tourism market has a low level of concentration as there are large numbers of international and local players in tourism market. The market for global tourism is highly fragmented in nature. Aban Offshore Ltd., Accor Group, Crown Ltd., Balkan Holidays Ltd., Fred Harvey Company and G Adventures are some of the players in global tourism market.

This research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data and statistically-supported and industry-validated market data and projections with a suitable set of assumptions and methodology. It provides analysis and information by categories such as market segments, regions, product type and distribution channels.

The report covers exhaustive analysis on

• Market Segments
• Market Dynamics
• Market Size
• Supply & Demand
• Current Trends/Issues/Challenges
• Competition & Companies involved
• Value Chain

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Fact sheet: 2022 national travel and tourism strategy, office of public affairs.

The 2022 National Travel and Tourism Strategy was released on June 6, 2022, by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo on behalf of the Tourism Policy Council (TPC). The new strategy focuses the full efforts of the federal government to promote the United States as a premier destination grounded in the breadth and diversity of our communities, and to foster a sector that drives economic growth, creates good jobs, and bolsters conservation and sustainability. Drawing on engagement and capabilities from across the federal government, the strategy aims to support broad-based economic growth in travel and tourism across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia.

The federal government will work to implement the strategy under the leadership of the TPC and in partnership with the private sector, aiming toward an ambitious five-year goal of increasing American jobs by attracting and welcoming 90 million international visitors, who we estimate will spend $279 billion, annually by 2027.

The new National Travel and Tourism Strategy supports growth and competitiveness for an industry that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, generated $1.9 trillion in economic output and supported 9.5 million American jobs. Also, in 2019, nearly 80 million international travelers visited the United States and contributed nearly $240 billion to the U.S. economy, making the United States the global leader in revenue from international travel and tourism. As the top services export for the United States that year, travel and tourism generated a $53.4 billion trade surplus and supported 1 million jobs in the United States.

The strategy follows a four-point approach:

• Promoting the United States as a Travel Destination Goal : Leverage existing programs and assets to promote the United States to international visitors and broaden marketing efforts to encourage visitation to underserved communities.
• Facilitating Travel to and Within the United States Goal : Reduce barriers to trade in travel services and make it safer and more efficient for visitors to enter and travel within the United States.
• Ensuring Diverse, Inclusive, and Accessible Tourism Experiences Goal : Extend the benefits of travel and tourism by supporting the development of diverse tourism products, focusing on under-served communities and populations. Address the financial and workplace needs of travel and tourism businesses, supporting destination communities as they grow their tourism economies. Deliver world-class experiences and customer service at federal lands and waters that showcase the nation’s assets while protecting them for future generations.
• Fostering Resilient and Sustainable Travel and Tourism Goal : Reduce travel and tourism’s contributions to climate change and build a travel and tourism sector that is resilient to natural disasters, public health threats, and the impacts of climate change. Build a sustainable sector that integrates protecting natural resources, supporting the tourism economy, and ensuring equitable development.

Travel and Tourism Fast Facts

• The travel and tourism industry supported 9.5 million American jobs through $1.9 trillion of economic activity in 2019. In fact, 1 in every 20 jobs in the United States was either directly or indirectly supported by travel and tourism. These jobs can be found in industries like lodging, food services, arts, entertainment, recreation, transportation, and education.
• Travel and tourism was the top services export for the United States in 2019, generating a $53.4 billion trade surplus.
• The travel and tourism industry was one of the U.S. business sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent health and travel restrictions, with travel exports decreasing nearly 65% from 2019 to 2020. 
• The decline in travel and tourism contributed heavily to unemployment; leisure and hospitality lost 8.2 million jobs between February and April 2020 alone, accounting for 37% of the decline in overall nonfarm employment during that time. 
• By 2021, the rollout of vaccines and lifting of international and domestic restrictions allowed travel and tourism to begin its recovery. International arrivals to the United States grew to 22.1 million in 2021, up from 19.2 million in 2020. Spending by international visitors also grew, reaching $81.0 billion, or 34 percent of 2019’s total.

More about the Tourism Policy Council and the 2022 National Travel and Tourism Strategy

Created by Congress and chaired by Secretary Raimondo, the Tourism Policy Council (TPC) is the interagency council charged with coordinating national policies and programs relating to travel and tourism. At the direction of Secretary Raimondo, the TPC created a new five-year strategy to focus U.S. government efforts in support of the travel and tourism sector which has been deeply and disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the full strategy here

Global Tourism Value Chains, Sustainable Development Goals and COVID-19

• First Online: 20 September 2020

Cite this chapter

• Godwell Nhamo 3 ,
• Kaitano Dube 4 &
• David Chikodzi 5  

3395 Accesses

6 Citations

This chapter presents a conceptual framework and setting for the book. This is informed by the desire to link three critical thematic areas, namely, (i) the global tourism value chains, (ii) COVID-19 and (iii) the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (AfSD) and the 17 embedded sustainable development goals (SDGs). Bringing in the SDGs adds value given that there are three SDGs (SDGs 8, 12 and 14) that make specific reference to tourism. Furthermore, COVID-19 negatively impacted many SDGs leading to governments, civic and private organisations revising budgets to channel resources towards “flattening” both the COVID-19 and economic curves. Understanding the global tourism value chains assists in opening up the complex tourism space and to systematically document COVID-19 impacts along with the industries within the value chain nodes. To this end, this chapter comes across mainly as an essay with heavy dependence on value add from the document and critical discourse analysis, as well as a meta-analysis of secondary data sources. The chapter is useful from both a theoretical and practical application points of view. A section bringing the nexus of the thematic focus areas is slotted in towards the end, with a critique of how the tourism sector should address shortfalls in relation to the SDGs within the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Nhamo, G., Dube, K., Chikodzi, D. (2020). Global Tourism Value Chains, Sustainable Development Goals and COVID-19. In: Counting the Cost of COVID-19 on the Global Tourism Industry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56231-1_2

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How global tourism can become more sustainable, inclusive and resilient

A sanitary mask lies on the ground at Frankfurt Airport Image:  Reuters/Ralph Orlowski

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Ahmed Al-Khateeb

.chakra .wef-9dduvl{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-9dduvl{font-size:1.125rem;}} Explore and monitor how .chakra .wef-15eoq1r{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;color:#F7DB5E;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-15eoq1r{font-size:1.125rem;}} The Great Reset is affecting economies, industries and global issues

.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}} Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

Stay up to date:, the great reset.

• Tourism rose to the forefront of the global agenda in 2020, due to the devastating impact of COVID-19
• Recovery will be driven by technology and innovation – specifically seamless travel solutions, but it will be long, uneven and slow
• Success hinges on international coordination and collaboration across the public and private sectors

Tourism was one of the sectors hit hardest by the global pandemic. 2020 was the worst year on record for international travel due to the global pandemic, with countries taking decisive action to protect their citizens, closing borders and halting international travel.

The result was a 74% decline in international visitor arrivals, equivalent to over $1 trillion revenue losses , and an estimated 62 million fewer jobs . The impact on international air travel has been even more severe with a 90% drop on 2019 , resulting in a potential $1.8 trillion loss. And while the economic impact is dire in itself, nearly 2.9 million lives have been lost in the pandemic.

The path to recovery will be long and slow

Countries now face the challenge of reopening borders to resume travel and commerce, while protecting their populations’ health. At its peak, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported in April 2020 that every country on earth had implemented some travel restriction , signalling the magnitude of the operation to restart travel.

Have you read?

Tourism industry experts fear long road to recovery, how we can prioritize sustainability in rebuilding tourism, covid-19 could set the global tourism industry back 20 years.

Consequently, the path to recovery will be long and slow. The resurgence of cases following the discovery of new variants towards the end of last year delivered another disappointing blow to the travel industry. Any pickup over the summer months was quashed following a second wave of lockdowns and border closures . Coupled with mixed progress in the roll-out of vaccination programs, I predict that we will not see a significant rebound in international travel until the middle of this year at best.

Others echo my fears. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts a 50.4% improvement on 2020 air travel demand, which would bring the industry to 50.6% of 2019 levels . However, a more pessimistic outlook based on the persistence of travel restrictions suggests that demand may only pick up by 13% this year, leaving the industry at 38% of 2019 levels. McKinsey & Company similarly predict that tourism expenditure may not return to pre-COVID-19 levels until 2024 .

How to enhance sustainability, inclusivity and resilience

Given its economic might – employing 330 million people, contributing 10% to global GDP before the pandemic, and predicted to create 100 million new jobs – restoring the travel and tourism sector to a position of strength is the utmost priority.

The Great Reset provides an opportunity to rethink how tourism is delivered and to enhance sustainability, inclusivity and resilience. We must also address the challenges – from climate change and “ overtourism ” to capacity constraints – that we faced before the pandemic, while embracing traveller preferences, as we rebuild.

A 2018 study found that global tourism accounted for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions from 2009 to 2013 ; four times higher than previous estimates. Even more worryingly, this puts progress towards the Paris Agreement at risk – recovery efforts must centre around environmental sustainability.

Furthermore, according to a study on managing overcrowding, the top 20 most popular global destinations were predicted to add more international arrivals than the rest of the world combined by 2020 . While COVID-19 will have disrupted this trend, it is well known that consumers want to travel again, and we must address the issues associated with overcrowding, especially in nascent destinations, like Saudi Arabia.

The Great Reset is a chance to make sure that as we rebuild, we do it better.

Seamless solutions lie at the heart of travel recovery

Tourism has the potential to be an engine of economic recovery provided we work collaboratively to adopt a common approach to a safe and secure reopening process – and conversations on this are already underway.

Through the G20, which Saudi Arabia hosted in 2020, our discussions focused on how to leverage technology and innovation in response to the crisis, as well as how to restore traveller confidence and improve the passenger experience in the future .

At the global level, across the public and private sectors, the World Economic Forum is working with the Commons Project on the CommonPass framework , which will allow individuals to access lab results and vaccination records, and consent to having that information used to validate their COVID status. IATA is trialling the Travel Pass with airlines and governments , which seeks to be a global and standardized solution to validate and authenticate all country regulations regarding COVID-19 travel requirements.

The provision of solutions that minimize person-to-person contact responds to consumer wants, with IATA finding that 85% of travellers would feel safer with touchless processing . Furthermore, 44% said they would share personal data to enable this, up from 30% months prior , showing a growing trend for contactless travel processes.

Such solutions will be critical in coordinating the opening of international borders in a way that is safe, seamless and secure, while giving tourists the confidence to travel again.

Collaboration at the international level is critical

The availability of vaccines will make this easier, and we have commenced our vaccination programme in Saudi Arabia . But we need to ensure processes and protocols are aligned globally, and that we support countries with limited access to vaccinations to eliminate the threat of another resurgence. It is only when businesses and travellers have confidence in the systems that the sector will flourish again.

In an era of unprecedented data and ubiquitous intelligence, it is essential that organizations reimagine how they manage personal data and digital identities. By empowering individuals and offering them ways to control their own data, user-centric digital identities enable trusted physical and digital interactions – from government services or e-payments to health credentials, safe mobility or employment.

The World Economic Forum curates the Platform for Good Digital Identity to advance global digital identity activities that are collaborative and put the user interest at the center.

The Forum convenes public-private digital identity collaborations from travel, health, financial services in a global action and learning network – to understand common challenges and capture solutions useful to support current and future coalitions. Additionally, industry-specific models such as Known Traveller Digital Identity or decentralized identity models show that digital identity solutions respecting the individual are possible.

The approach taken by Saudi Arabia and its partners to establish consensus and build collaborative relationships internationally and between the public and private sectors, should serve as a model to be replicated so that we can maximize the tourism sector’s contribution to the global economic recovery, while ensuring that it becomes a driver of prosperity and social progress again.

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International tourism reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2024

• All Regions
• 21 May 2024

International tourist arrivals reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2024. According to UN Tourism, more than 285 million tourists travelled internationally in January-March, about 20% more than the first quarter of 2023, underscoring the sector’s near-complete recovery from the impacts of the pandemic.

In 2023 international tourist arrivals recovered 89% of 2019 levels and export revenues from tourism 96%, while direct tourism GDP reached the same levels as in 2019.

UN Tourism’s projection for 2024 points to a full recovery of international tourism with arrivals growing 2% above 2019 levels. In line with this, the newest data released by the UN specialized agency for tourism show that:

Yet it also recalls the need to ensure adequate tourism policies and destination management, aiming to advance sustainability and inclusion, while addressing the externalities and impact of the sector on resources and communities

• The Middle East saw the strongest relative growth, with international arrivals exceeding by 36% pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2024, or 4% above Q1 2023. This follows an extraordinary performance in 2023, when the Middle East became the first world region to recover pre-pandemic numbers (+22%).  
• Europe , the world's largest destination region, exceeded pre-pandemic levels in a quarter for the first time (+1% from Q1 2019). The region recorded 120 million international tourists in the first three months of the year, backed by robust intra-regional demand.
• Africa welcomed 5% more arrivals in the first quarter of 2024 than in Q1 2019, and 13% more than in Q1 2023.
• The Americas practically recovered pre-pandemic numbers this first quarter, with arrivals reaching 99% of 2019 levels.
• International tourism is experiencing a rapid recovery in Asia and the Pacific where arrivals reached 82% of pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2024, after recovering 65% in the year 2023.

UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "The recovery of the sector is very welcome news for our economies and the livelihoods of millions. Yet it also recalls the need to ensure adequate tourism policies and destination management, aiming to advance sustainability and inclusion, while addressing the externalities and impact of the sector on resources and communities".

By subregions, North Africa saw the strongest performance in Q1 2024 with 23% more international arrivals than before the pandemic, followed by Central America (+15%), the Caribbean and Western Europe (both +7%). Southern Mediterranean Europe exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 1%, while South America virtually reached 2019 levels.  Northern Europe recovered 98% of pre-pandemic levels, while Subsaharan Africa and North America both recovered 95%.

According to available data, many destinations across the world continued to achieve strong results in Q1 2024, including Qatar (+177% versus Q1 2019), Albania (+121%), Saudi Arabia (+98%), El Salvador (+90%), Tanzania (+53%), Curaçao (+45%), Serbia (+43%), Turks and Caicos (+42%), Guatemala (+41%) and Bulgaria (+38%).

The robust performance of international tourism can also be seen in the UN Tourism Confidence Index which reached 130 points (on a scale of 0 to 200) for the period January-April, above the expectations (122) expressed for this period in mid-January.

International tourism receipts reached USD 1.5 trillion in 2023, meaning a complete recovery of pre-pandemic levels in nominal terms, but 97% in real terms, adjusting for inflation.

By regions, Europe generated the highest receipts in 2023, with destinations earning USD 660 billion, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 7% in real terms. Receipts in the Middle East climbed 33% above 2019 levels. The Americas recovered 96% of its pre-pandemic earnings in 2023 and Africa 95%. Asia and the Pacific earned 78% of its pre-crisis receipts, a remarkable result when compared to its 65% recovery in arrivals last year.

Total export revenues from international tourism, including both receipts and passenger transport, reached USD 1.7 trillion in 2023, about 96% of pre-pandemic levels in real terms. Tourism direct GDP recovered pre-pandemic levels, reaching an estimated USD 3.3 trillion in 2023, equivalent to 3% of global GDP.

Several destinations achieved remarkable results in terms of receipts in the first quarter of 2024 as compared to 2019 levels based on available data, including Serbia (+127%), Türkiye (+82%), Pakistan (+72%), Tanzania (+62%), Portugal (+61%), Romania (+57%), Japan (+53%), Mongolia (+50%), Mauritius (+46%) and Morocco (+44%).

Looking ahead to a full recovery globally in 2024

International tourism is expected to recover completely in 2024 backed by strong demand, enhanced air connectivity and the continued recovery of China and other major Asian markets.

The latest UN Tourism Confidence Index shows positive prospects for the upcoming summer season, with a score of 130 for the period May-August 2024 (on a scale of 0 to 200), reflecting more upbeat sentiment than earlier this year. Some 62% of tourism experts participating in the Confidence survey expressed better (53%) or much better (9%) expectations for this 4-month period, covering the Northern Hemisphere summer season, while 31% foresee similar performance as in 2023.  

Challenges remain

According to the UN Tourism Panel of Experts, economic and geopolitical headwinds continue to pose significant challenges to international tourism and confidence levels.

IMF's latest World Economic Outlook (April 2024) points to a steady but slow economic recovery, though mixed by region. At the same time, persisting inflation, high interest rates, volatile oil prices and disruptions to trade continue to translate into high transport and accommodations costs.

Tourists are expected to continue to seek value for money and travel closer to home in response to elevated prices and the overall economic challenges, while extreme temperatures and other weather events could impact the destination choice of many travellers. This is increasingly mentioned by the UN Tourism Panel of Experts as a concern for the sector.

Uncertainty derived from the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Hamas-Israel conflict and other mounting geopolitical tensions, are also important downside risks for international tourism.

As international tourism continues to recover and expand, fuelling economic growth and employment around the world, governments will need to continue adapting and enhancing their management of tourism at the national and local level to ensure communities and residents are at the center of this development.

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The Emerald Handbook of Entrepreneurship in Tourism, Travel and Hospitality

ISBN : 978-1-78743-530-8 , eISBN : 978-1-78743-529-2

Publication date: 11 July 2018

The scope of this chapter is to present in a simple and synoptic way the main components of tourism as a consumer-driven business field. The main purpose of this chapter is to discuss the tourism system and tourism value chain as the analytical frameworks for tourism businesses.

Methodology/approach

A literature review was conducted on conceptual issues and managerial aspects of tourism system and value chain.

This chapter highlights the fact that tourism is not a science or a scientific discipline; it is just a body of knowledge. It presents, in a synoptic and clear way, the building blocks of the tourism, that is, the approaches of tourism system and tourism value chain, as well as the concept of tourism experience.

Research limitations/implications

This chapter is explorative in nature, because the discussion is mostly based on a literature review.

Practical implications

Tourism is a multifaceted activity, which touches upon many different economic activities that are connected as a system. Thus, tourism must be understood as a system that includes interrelated elements working together. The model of a value chain can be applied in tourism, both at business and destination levels. Tourists are the focal point of the global value chain in international tourism.

Originality/value

This chapter analyses analytical frameworks, models and concepts in an integrated way. This analysis is very useful in creating a better understanding of the tourism industries and the business ventures in this field.

• Tourism system
• Analytical frameworks
• Tourism experience
• Value chain
• Global value chain

Varvaressos, S. (2018), "Framework for Tourism Industries: Tourism System and Tourism Value Chain", Sotiriadis, M. (Ed.) The Emerald Handbook of Entrepreneurship in Tourism, Travel and Hospitality , Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 19-31. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78743-529-220181002

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SATSA Members share overwhelmingly positive feedback on Africa's Travel Indaba 2024

What an incredible week it was in the city of Durban as Africa's Travel Indaba 2024 took centre stage. The feedback from our members has been overwhelmingly positive about this year's remarkable event. 

With over 1,200 exhibitors showcasing their diverse offerings, 25 African countries represented, and an impressive 1,000 buyers from 55 nations in attendance, the exhibition halls were abuzz with activity and opportunity.

Tourism stakeholders from across the globe convened under one roof at Durban's ICC, a true embodiment of how this special industry brings people together through shared experiences.

Numerous SATSA members have reported positive outlooks and promising new business leads stemming from their participation. This resoundingly reaffirms the immense value of Africa's Travel Indaba as a catalyst for opportunities for a diverse range of unparalleled products and experiences. 

As the industry continues its recovery from the pandemic's far-reaching impacts, platforms like Indaba are crucial for suppliers. SATSA remains steadfastly committed to advocating for our members, facilitating vital buyer-seller connections, and enhancing the global visibility of our region's remarkable tourism offerings. 

We eagerly look forward to the 2025 edition of Africa's Travel Indaba. 

• Azerbaijani
• Chinese (Simplified)
• Chinese (Traditional)
• Haitian Creole
• Kinyarwanda
• Kurdish (Kurmanji)
• Kurdish (Soranî)
• Odia (Oriya)
• Scots Gaelic

WA’s Battery and critical minerals: strategy for the industry

The WA Battery and Critical Minerals Strategy outlines the WA Government’s vision to develop an internationally competitive, ethical and value adding battery and critical minerals industry that enables global decarbonisation, underpins our economic diversification and delivers meaningful outcomes for regional communities. 

The Strategy was first released in 2019 and updated in 2020 in response to market challenges and supply chain disruptions. The Strategy has been further refreshed for the 2024-2030 period to reflect the shifting investment landscape and the growth of WA's battery and critical minerals industries. 

The 2024-2030 strategy builds upon our successful resources industry and advanced processing capabilities, with the aim of capturing more value onshore through activities such as processing and manufacturing higher-value materials and products. 

The refreshed strategy outlines a number of focus areas, and activities, that will guide the Western Australian Government’s policy decisions to 2030. This provides a framework to support agile and strategic decision-making, with the government's actions evolving as the needs of the industry change. 

In the near term there are 3 priorities:

• A robust and efficient approvals system
• Planning and investment in common user infrastructure
• Targeted financial support for strategically important projects or industries 

Delivering these priorities will improve the resilience of our existing industries, while also driving foundational improvements to support future investment.

Visit the progress reports and development page for more information on the progress and previous iterations of the Strategy.

WA’s Battery and critical minerals: 2024-2030 strategy

Battery and Critical Minerals Strategy Refresh Consultation

Battery and Critical Minerals Prospectus

Announcements.

Refreshed Battery and Critical Minerals Strategy released

WA Battery and Critical Minerals Strategy consultation now open for comment

Publications.

Western Australia's Battery and Critical Mineral Strategy 2024 - 2030

Related information

• WA's Battery and Critical Minerals Industry
• Battery and Critical Minerals Industries Prospectus
• 2024-2030 Battery and Critical Minerals Strategy
• Progress Reports and Development

Provided by

Battery and Critical Minerals Team Address: Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation Level 11, 1 William Street Perth WA 6000 Telephone: 61 8 6277 3000 Email: [email protected] Subscribe to the latest Invest and Trade Western Australia newsletter

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Acknowledgement of Country

The Government of Western Australia acknowledges the traditional custodians throughout Western Australia and their continuing connection to the land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all members of the Aboriginal communities and their cultures; and to Elders both past and present.

Help Craft Destination Madison's Vision

Destination Madison is conducting a Resident Sentiment Study to get a pulse on perceptions of the tourism industry from people living throughout the Madison area.

As someone who lives in Madison, you are familiar with what the City has to offer, what you value when you have free time, and where you like to spend time when you have guests visiting.

Please fill out the survey today (it will take about 10 minutes). We value your opinions! Note: Respondents must be 18+ and residents of Dane County.

Everyone who completes this survey can enter to win a Madison Staycation Giveaway! All responses will remain anonymous, regardless of entry for the sweepstakes. The survey is open May 9-May 30, 2024, and is available in both English and Spanish.

Survey link:  https://survey.cmix.com/0ED8C2C2/7E3ABC4Q/es-ES  

It truly takes just 10 minutes to complete! Your input will be instrumental in helping Destination Madison create a vision for an innovative, welcoming capital city fueled by a thriving visitor economy. Our goal is to reach a diverse range of residents, so please help us spread the word.

Keep in mind our hospitality industry provides hundreds of jobs, brings thousands of visitors to Madison and contributes millions of dollars to our economy. I am happy to spend 10 minutes filling out a survey to support that effort.

This content is free for use with credit to the City of Madison Mayor's Office.

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