In 2024, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to **** trillion U.S. dollars. This figure, which includes the direct, indirect, and induced impact of the global travel and tourism market, represented an increase in total contribution to GDP of *** percent over 2019. As forecast, the total contribution of the travel and tourism sector to the global GDP was expected to reach **** trillion U.S. dollars in 2025. Which countries record the highest travel and tourism contribution to GDP? GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a year. It is considered an important indicator of a country's economic strength, and a positive change in GDP is a sign of economic growth. Both before and after the impact of COVID-19, the United States and China were by far the leading travel markets based on the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP, followed by Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. What are the most visited countries in the world? In 2023, France was the country with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide, welcoming 100 million international visitors. While the United States reported the third-highest number of inbound tourist arrivals that year, it was the destination with the highest international tourism receipts worldwide, ranking ahead of Spain and the United Kingdom.

In 2019, Macau generated the highest share of GDP through direct travel and tourism of any other economy worldwide, with over half its GDP coming from this sector. Macau is a city and a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China - its economy is largely based on casino gaming and tourism. The nation with the second highest share of GDP generated by direct travel and tourism was the Maldives. The country began to develop its travel and tourism industry in 1970s and now over 30 percent of GDP is coming from this sector in 2019.

What is GDP?

GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a year. It is considered an important indicator of the economic strength of a country and a positive change is an indicator of economic growth.

What is direct contribution to GDP? The direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP reflects the ‘internal’ spending on travel and tourism (total spending within a particular country on travel and tourism by residents and non-residents for business and leisure purposes) as well as government 'individual' spending - spending by government on travel and tourism services directly linked to visitors, such as cultural (e.g. museums) or recreational (e.g. national parks).

In 2023, the share of travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in European Union member countries and the United Kingdom remained in most cases below the figures reported before the COVID-19 pandemic, but showed strong signs of recovery. Overall, Croatia was the EU country where travel and tourism contributed the highest share of gross domestic product in 2023. That year, these industries generated, directly and indirectly, nearly ** percent of the country's GDP. Portugal and Greece followed in the ranking in 2023, with travel and tourism representing **** percent and **** percent of GDP, respectively.

Contributing a staggering *** trillion U.S. dollars to China’s GDP in 2023, the travel and tourism industry proved to be a vital industry for the East Asian country’s economy. This pivotal industry provided huge GDP contributions to a number of countries across the Asia-Pacific region. Japan and India both saw impressive figures, while Southeast Asia alone has experienced constant GDP increases from the travel and tourism industry. Why Asia-Pacific The travel and tourism industry has made significant monetary additions to many developing economies throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Southeast Asia stands in the foreground as one of the regions which relies heavily on its tourism success. A success which could be inferred through the rising number of tourist arrivals to the ASEAN states. A likely reason why APAC has become one of the leading regions for tourism, could be related to its competitive prices. Many countries in the Asia-Pacific region are cheaper than the usual Western tourist hotspots, in this way, the region has begun to appeal to an increasing number of international travelers. Domestic tourism The Asia-Pacific region has not only attracted international tourists throughout recent years but has also received a great influx of domestic tourists. Growing economies in the region, resulting in an emerging middle class, have made the possibility of increased domestic travel a reality. Intra-regional tourism accounted for approximately half of APAC’s tourism.

In 2024, the direct and indirect contribution of travel and tourism to the United Kingdom's gross domestic product (GDP) was *** percent higher than in 2019, the year prior to the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Overall, these industries' total contribution to the country's GDP amounted to roughly *** billion British pounds in 2024. Has tourism in the UK recovered from the impact of COVID-19? While inbound resident visits to the UK dropped to just above ***** million in 2021 - the lowest figure reported in *** decades - the volume of inbound tourist visits to the United Kingdom rebounded in 2022, and grew to ** million in 2023. International arrivals, however, remained below pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, while outbound tourist visits from the UK experienced around a ******** increase in 2022 compared to the previous year, the country still reported around ***** million fewer trips abroad in 2023 than in 2019. What are the favorite holiday destinations among Britons? Either before or after the impact of the health crisis, vacationing remained the main travel purpose for outbound visits from the UK. In 2023, ***** was the most visited holiday destination by UK travelers, followed by *************************.

In 2024, the travel and tourism industry in India contributed around 256 billion U.S. dollars to the country’s GDP. In 2023, the country welcomed over nine million foreign tourists, generating foreign exchange earnings of over 27 billion U.S. dollars. Domestic travel on the rise With a rich culture, ancient monuments, and mesmerizing natural beauty, India is one of the leading tourist destinations in the world. This holds true not only for foreign tourists, but also for the increasingly monied middle-class of the country who are spending more time and money than ever before on domestic travel. In 2021, the domestic expenditure on tourism was around 150 billion U.S. dollars. The collective government spending on the tourism sector is expected to reach 5.65 billion dollars by 2028. The cost of tourism It comes as no surprise that out of the most visited monuments in India, the Taj Mahal in Agra ranks number one for both foreign as well as domestic tourists. Along with these popular tourist destinations, travellers are also exploring many other destinations in the country, like the pristine high-altitude plains of Leh and Ladakh or the lush green north-eastern forests. It now remains to be seen whether and how well the country manages to balance the influx of people with its efforts for the historical sites and natural resources conservation.

This statistic describes the total contribution of travel and tourism to gross domestic product (GDP) across the Middle East from 2012 to 2017, with an estimate for 2018 and a forecast for 2028. According to forecasts, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the GDP of Middle Eastern countries will amount to around 486.1 billion U.S. dollars by 2028.

In 2023, travel and tourism in the country generated, directly and indirectly, 131.4 billion U.S. dollars. The estimated contribution of the travel and tourism industry to GDP is 135.5 U.S. dollars in 2024. It is forecast for the contribution of travel and tourism to Turkey's GDP to rise even more by 2034.

In 2023, the travel and tourism sector in the United States contributed approximately 2.36 trillion U.S. dollars to gross domestic product (GDP). This figure saw growth over the pre-pandemic levels of 2019 when the travel and tourism sector contributed 2.27 trillion U.S. dollars to the North American country's economy.

The United States' travel and tourism industry directly contributed the largest amount to gross domestic profit (GDP) out of any country worldwide with a total contribution of 580.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. Comparatively, the ever-growing travel and tourism industry in China directly contributed the second largest sum to GDP. Meanwhile, Europe was home to half of the top 10 countries with the highest direct contribution to GDP globally (through travel and tourism).

What is GDP?

GDP is the total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a year. It is considered an important indicator of the economic strength of a country and a positive change is an indicator of economic growth.

In 2023, travel and tourism contributed eight percent to Egypt's gross domestic product (GDP). The share increased compared to 2020. However, it declined notably from 8.5 percent in 2019, reflecting the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the sector. Furthermore, the contribution of tourism to GDP is estimated to reach 8.1 percent in 2024.

In 2023, the travel and tourism industry contributed approximately *** billion U.S. dollars to the GDP in Southeast Asia. Comparatively, this value was about ***** billion U.S. dollars in 2019. GDP contributions from this industry in Southeast Asia saw consistent increases throughout the past decade until they halved in 2020 due to the global pandemic. Tourism in Southeast Asia is recovering The number of tourists in Southeast Asia increased significantly in the last decade. While the COVID-19 pandemic affected the tourism sector heavily, the Southeast Asian region is recovering the fastest from international tourist arrivals to the Asia-Pacific region. Southeast Asia was also the Asian subregion with a high year-on-year change in the monthly number of international tourist arrivals, especially from January to March. Importance of the tourism industry in Southeast Asia As tourism in Southeast Asia contributes highly to the GDP, many countries are dependent on tourism to stimulate their newly emerging economies. In addition to the monetary value, the tourism industry contributes significantly to employment in Southeast Asian countries. Indonesia falls into the top five leading countries with the highest total contribution of travel and tourism to employment worldwide. To maintain and even encourage the growth of the tourism sector, both regarding domestic and international tourists, many Southeast Asian countries are initiating programs such as easier visa attainment and the establishment of low-cost airlines to stimulate the tourism industry.  

In 2023, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the gross domestic product (GDP) in Europe nearly equaled the figure from 2019, recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the total contribution of these industries to Europe's GDP amounted to roughly **** trillion euros in 2023. As predicted, this figure was expected to reach an estimated *** trillion euros in 2024.

In 2024, the total contribution of travel and tourism to France's gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded *** billion euros, growing by **** percent over 2019. This figure, which includes the direct, indirect, and induced impact of the travel and tourism market, was forecast to increase further in 2025, reaching an estimated *** billion euros. The economic contribution of inbound tourism in France Both before and after the impact of the health crisis, France took the top spot in the ranking of countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. Overall, international tourism expenditure in France totaled nearly ** billion euros in 2023, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Inbound tourism in Paris Millions of travelers visit the French capital every year, attracted by its rich cultural heritage and renowned attractions, like the Louvre, the most visited art museum worldwide. In 2023, the number of inbound tourist arrivals to Paris and the Île-de-France region showed strong signs of recovery from the impact of the pandemic, but remained around **** percent lower than in 2019.

In the financial year 2024, foreign visitor spending contributed around ** percent to the travel and tourism gross domestic product (GDP) in India. Whereas, domestic spending contributed about ** percent to India's travel and tourism GDP.

This statistic describes the total economic contribution of tourism and travel to the GDP of the Gulf Cooperation Council from 2012 to 2017, with an estimate for 2018 and a forecast for 2027. According to forecasts, the total economic contribution of tourism and travel to the GDP of the GCC in 2027 will be 318.6 billion U.S. dollars.

In 2024, the total contribution of travel and tourism to Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to *** billion euros. This figure, which includes the direct, indirect, and induced impact of the travel and tourism market, was predicted to reach an estimated *** billion euros in 2025.

This statistic presents the direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in Europe from 2012 to 2018, with an additional forecast for 2028. Over this period, the direct contribution of the travel and tourism industry to GDP in Europe increased, reaching around 760 billion U.S. dollars in 2017.

Portugal experienced a recovery of over 30 percent in the total travel and tourism contribution to its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, after a strong drop due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Prior to this crisis, this sector represented over 40 billion U.S. dollars of the Portuguese economy. By 2024, more than 58 billion U.S. dollars were forecasted as contribution to the country's GDP. Tourism spending in Portugal In 2023, Portugal's tourism services generated a sales revenue close to 38.9 billion euros, signalizing the post-pandemic recovery for this sector, which began in the previous year. Furthermore, inbound tourism expenditures in the Iberian country for the same year reached 25 billion euros, representing an increase from the previous year. How many travelers make their way to Portugal each year? From 2022 to 2024, Portugal witnessed a remarkable increase in the number of international overnight visitors, with the figure reaching 56 million in the latter year – more than in 2019. The recovery of the Portuguese tourism sector from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic can also be seen in monthly development. While in 2020 and 2021, the usual influx of foreign guests in Portuguese accommodation establishments during the summer season was affected by the global health crisis, the country saw a return to normality in 2022, with August reaching the annual peak of 1.96 million travelers, which rose to 2.27 million by 2024.

In 2024, the total contribution of travel and tourism to Italy's gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to ***** billion euros. This figure, which includes the direct, indirect, and induced impact of the travel and tourism sector, was forecast to reach an estimated ***** billion euros in 2025. Domestic vs. inbound tourism spending in Italy Domestic visitors account for the highest share of travel and tourism spending in Italy, representing nearly ** percent of the total expenditure in 2023. That year, domestic tourism spending in Italy exceeded *** billion euros, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. Similarly, the international tourism expenditure in the country grew by around ***** percent compared to 2019. Where do Italian domestic tourists travel? When looking at the distribution of trips taken by Italians in 2023, roughly ***** out of 10 journeys were made within the country, with the North of Italy ranking as the leading domestic destination. Meanwhile, according to a 2024 survey exploring the travel intentions of Italians, almost ** percent of respondents reported planning to travel domestically over the next six months.