In 2022, the Travel & Tourism sector contributed 7.6% to global GDP; an increase of 22% from 2021 and only 23% below 2019 levels. In 2022, there were 22 million new jobs, representing a 7.9% increase on 2021, and only 11.4% below 2019.
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Overall, these industries represented 7.6 percent of the global GDP in 2022. That year, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global GDP amounted to 7.7 trillion U.S. dollars.
Despite the sharp increase, the market size of tourism worldwide remained below pre-pandemic levels, totaling around two trillion U.S. dollars in 2022. As forecast, this figure is expected to rise to nearly 2.29 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, surpassing the peak reported in 2019.
According to IBISWorld experts' analysis, the global tourism industry is ranked 5th on the list of the 10 global biggest industries by revenue. However, if we rank the industry's size by employment, the travel industry comes in as the first one.
France is the most visited country in the world with 117,109,000 international tourists, thanks to its rich history and iconic landmarks. Mexico comes in second for most visited countries, with 51,128,000 tourists, offering vibrant culture and stunning natural beauty.
But there are larger economies heavily reliant on international tourism. For instance, in Croatia average net international tourism revenues from 2015-2019 exceeded 15 percent of GDP, 8 percent in the Dominican Republic and Thailand, 7 percent in Greece, and 5 percent in Portugal.
The U.S. travel and tourism industry generated $1.9 trillion in economic output; supporting 9.5 million American jobs and accounted for 2.9% of U.S. GDP.
Tourism is one of the world's largest industries, contributing trillions of dollars to the global economy and supporting the livelihoods of an estimated one in ten people worldwide.
Travel & Tourism's contribution to GDP increased by USD 1 trillion (+21.7% rise) in 2021 to reach USD 5.8 trillion, while the sector's share of the whole economy increased from 5.3% in 2020 to 6.1% in 2021. Additionally, the sector saw the recovery of 18.2 million jobs, representing an increase of 6.7%.
The Travel and Tourism Development Index ranked the UK as the fifth-best country for non-leisure travel worldwide in 2021, and the first-best country in Europe.
Despite the sharp increase, the market size of tourism worldwide remained below pre-pandemic levels, totaling around two trillion U.S. dollars in 2022. As forecast, this figure is expected to rise to nearly 2.29 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, surpassing the peak reported in 2019.
Taking into account direct and indirect impacts (including aspects like the supply chain), tourism in England contributes £106 billion to the British economy (GDP) and supports 2.6 million jobs. Looking at direct impacts only, tourism still contributes £48 billion, supporting 1.4 million jobs.
Of the 136 top economies in the world, Ukraine is the one least reliant on tourism, with just 1.4% of its gross domestic product coming from visitors. Russia is close behind, with just 1.5% of its GDP coming from tourism.
Germany's economy has consistently had the largest economy in Europe since 1980, even before the reunification of West and East Germany. The United Kingdom, by contrast, has had mixed fortunes during the same time period and had a smaller economy than Italy in the late 1980s.