Record-Breaking Performance: Travel & Tourism Contributes $11.6 Trillion to Global GDP in 2025
The global travel and tourism sector achieved its strongest performance on record in 2025, contributing an unprecedented $11.6 trillion to global GDP and accounting for 9.8% of the world economy. This data was released this week by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Chase Travel.
The sector grew at 4.1% year-on-year, exceeding overall global economic growth of 2.8% by almost 50%. This cements travel and tourism as the world’s fastest-growing industry. In 2025, the sector supported 366 million jobs worldwide — a figure greater than the entire population of the United States — and accounted for one in three new jobs created globally.
“Despite the global challenges of 2025, the Travel & Tourism sector had its best year ever, which demonstrates its resilience,” said Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC. “This exceptional performance underscores not only its economic strength, but its resilience and ability to outpace wider global growth.”
Regional performance varied significantly, with the following highlights:
- Asia-Pacific led growth at 8.1% to reach $3.29 trillion, driven by market reopening and enhanced connectivity.
- North America saw slower growth of 1.0%, totaling $3.05 trillion.
The sector facilitated 1.54 billion international overnight arrivals in 2025, equivalent to 4.2 million people crossing borders every single day.
Source: Travel and Tour World