In 2023, the share of travel and tourism's total contribution to global gross domestic product (GDP) showed a decline of 1.3 percentage points compared to 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, these industries represented 9.1 percent of the global GDP in 2023. That year, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global GDP amounted to nearly 10 trillion U.S. dollars. The impact of COVID-19 on global travel and tourism The lockdowns and travel restrictions enforced across the globe to limit the spread of COVID-19 turned travel and tourism upside down. In 2023, the number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide experienced a sharp annual increase, but was still slightly below pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, total travel and tourism spending worldwide followed a similar trend. International tourist arrivals still lagged pre-pandemic levels After sinking in 2020 to the lowest point recorded since 1989, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide bounced back in 2022, then rose further in 2023. That said, it remained below the peak of nearly 1.5 billion reported in 2019. Both before and after the impact of the health crisis, Europe was the global region with the highest number of international tourist arrivals.

In 2023, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global gross domestic product (GDP) was roughly four percent lower than in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the contribution of travel and tourism to the global GDP amounted to 9.9 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. This figure was predicted to reach an estimated 11.1 trillion U.S. dollars in 2024, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. 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, the United Kingdom, and Japan. What are the most visited countries in the world? In 2023, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide increased significantly over the previous year but did not catch up yet with pre-pandemic levels. That year, France was the country with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide, welcoming 100 million international visitors. Spain and the United States followed in the ranking in 2023.