Travel & Tourism in countries previously hit by terrorism and political unrest started to show signs of strong recovery in 2017, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) latest Economic Impact Report, launched today.

Overall T&T growth in North Africa was 22.6% in 2017, more than three times faster than any other world region and five times faster than the world average of 4.6%. Driving this growth was an excellent recovery in Egypt, where tourism’s contribution to GDP grew by 72.9% compared to 2016; and a strong but more muted recovery in Tunisia of 7.6%. In Turkey, tourism’s contribution grew by 17%.

GDP growth from Travel & Tourism massively outpaced growth in the whole economy in countries previously hit by terrorism. In Egypt the economy grew by 4.1%, in Tunisia by 2% and Turkey by 7.0%). This highlights the sector’s importance in driving economic growth in these countries.

Overall in 2017, Travel & Tourism generated US$21.1 billion of GDP in Egypt (11.0% of total GDP), US$5.7 billion of GDP in Tunisia (14.2% of total) and US$ 98.4 billion in Turkey (11.6% of total); and Travel & Tourism accounted for 8.5%, 13.0% and 7.4% of employment in each country respectively.

With this strong recovery in 2017 and promising forecasts for 2018, particularly as major source markets such as the UK return to the region, with the resuming of charter flights, these countries are well on track to return to pre-crisis levels.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC said, “In a year which has generally seen strong growth in the Travel & Tourism sector, this positive performance in Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey is very encouraging. Our research shows that public and private sector co-operation is key to a destination’s ability to recover from shocks such as terrorist attacks or political unrest, and I encourage the governments of these countries to continue with their engagement with the private sector in pursuit of future sustainable growth.”

“The experience of Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey as well as other countries which have suffered terrorist attacks in recent years, such as France and Belgium which also performed well in 2017, highlights how important it is that as an industry we find the balance between safe, secure and seamless travel. Security is paramount, and it will be vital in coming years that we optimise the use of technology, such as biometrics, to ensure secure and efficient travel, which will ultimately create and protect jobs.”

The United States’ tourism sector continues to be the largest in the world, according to new research released today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Travel & Tourism generated US$1.5 trillion for the US economy in 2017, more than any other country in the world. US tourism ranks no 1 in the world for GDP contribution, and visitor exports (international tourism spend in the country).

In 2017, Travel & Tourism supported nearly 14 million jobs and over US$200 billion in exports.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC, said “The US has long been a world leader in tourism and remains in the no 1 spot for another year. Travel & Tourism is vital for the US economy, generating economic growth, employment and exports. Our research shows that Travel & Tourism directly supports nearly twice as many jobs as the banking sector, eight times more than the mining sector, and six times more than the automotive manufacturing sector. The tourism sector is the best partner the US can have in creating new jobs”

The data also shows that tourism in the US grew by 2.3% in 2017. This compares to 9.8% growth in China, 6.2% in the United Kingdom, 7% in Spain, and 5.5% in Canada. Global tourism growth outpaced the economy for the seventh year running, growing at 4.6% compared to economy growth of 3%, and significantly outpaced economy growth in many countries. Travel & Tourism grew four times faster than the wider economy in the UK, and twice as fast in Japan and Spain, for example.

However, in the US Travel & Tourism equalled total economy growth.

Guevara continued “The data suggests that the US is not getting its fair share, as other countries are increasing their tourism at a faster rate. This means there is a huge opportunity for the US to grow tourism to increase jobs and exports. The government is ideally placed to tap into this opportunity, by promoting the country so that visitors know that the US is open and welcoming, while being secure.

“The US has a strong foundation with the private sector working well with government, which we applaud and continue to encourage. Its Visa Waiver is being replicated in other countries, so should be protected at home. And the US Global Entry scheme is one of the best in the world – its expansion would encourage visitors, especially high spending business and regular travellers.

Travel & Tourism is forecast to contribute more to the South African economy in 2018 than in any other year, according to major new research released today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

WTTC forecasts that the sector will contribute ZAR424.5 billion to the overall economy in 2018, a rise of almost 3% on 2017, and the highest since WTTC forecasts began.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said: “Travel & Tourism creates jobs, drives economic growth and helps build better societies, which is particularly the case in South Africa. WTTC predicts that our sector will contribute more to the South African economy than in any other year, which makes it the perfect partner for the new administration to put at the heart of the Government’s long-term economic plans.”

Other highlights of the report released today show:

Travel & Tourism supported 1.5 million jobs in 2017 (9.5% of total employment)
By 2028 almost 2.1 million jobs in South Africa are forecast to be dependent on Travel & Tourism
Travel & Tourism contributes 9% of the total GDP of South Africa, once all the direct, indirect and induced benefits are taken into account

Guevara continued: “Globally, 2017 was one of the strongest years of GDP growth in a decade. Our sector now supports one in ten jobs on the planet and contributes 10% of global GDP. Over the past ten years, one in five of all jobs created across the world has been in the sector and, with the right support from Governments, nearly 100 million new jobs could be created over the decade ahead.”

Travel & Tourism in Saudi Arabia is growing at a much faster rate than the wider economy, according to major new research released today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to the Saudi economy in 2017 was SAR240.9 billion, once all the direct, indirect and induced benefits were taken into account. This represented an annual rise of 4.6% against GDP growth of 1% for the wider economy.

This shows the Saudi economy is particularly well placed to benefit from Travel & Tourism as part of the diversification of the economy under the Saudi Arabia Vision for 2030.

Other highlights of the report released today show:

Travel & Tourism supported 1.2 million jobs in 2017 (9.1% of total employment)
By 2028 over 1.5 million jobs in Saudi Arabia are forecast to be dependent on Travel & Tourism
Travel & Tourism contributes 9.4% of the total GDP of Saudi Arabia

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said “Travel & Tourism creates jobs, drives economic growth and helps build better societies. This is particularly the case in Saudi Arabia where our sector is growing at over four times the rate of the wider economy. This means the country is particularly well placed to use Travel & Tourism as a driver of economic growth and job creation within the Government’s Saudi Arabia Vision for 2030 masterplan to diversify the economy.”

“Globally, 2017 was one of the strongest years of GDP growth in a decade. Our sector now supports one in ten jobs on the planet and contributes 10% of global GDP. Over the past ten years, one in five of all jobs created across the world has been in the sector and, with the right support from Governments, nearly 100 million new jobs could be created over the decade ahead.”

Tourists in Italy spent €39.6 billion in 2017 an increase of 6.5% – more than 50% higher than the world average growth of 4.3%, according to major new research released today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Overall, the total contribution of Travel & Tourism to the Italian economy was €223.2 billion in 2017, once all the direct, indirect and induced benefits were taken into account. This means that 13% of the entire Italian economy is dependent in some way on Travel & Tourism.

Other highlights of the report released today show:

Travel & Tourism supported 3.4 million jobs in 2017 (14.7% of total Italian employment)
By 2028 almost 4 million jobs in Italy are forecast to be dependent on Travel & Tourism
The travel sector grew by 2.7% in 2017, compared to growth of 1.6% in the wider economy
Italy is the 6th largest travel economy in the world

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said “Travel & Tourism creates jobs, drives economic growth and helps build better societies. This is particularly the case in Italy which has some of the world’s most famous tourism sites. I commend the Italian government and private sector for their management of the tourism economy – achieving growth 50% than the world average last year – which has enormous potential to create Italian jobs and to be part of the regeneration of the Italian economy.”

“Globally, 2017 was one of the strongest years of GDP growth in a decade. Our sector now supports one in ten jobs on the plant and contributes 10% of global GDP. Over the past ten years, one in five of all jobs created across the world has been in the sector and, with the right support from Governments, nearly 100 million new jobs could be created over the decade ahead.”

Japan’s Travel & Tourism sector grew at more than twice the rate of the wider economy in 2017, according to major new research released today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

The total contribution of Travel & Tourism to the Japanese economy in 2017 was JPY37,136 billion, once all the direct, indirect and induced benefits were taken into account. This represented an annual rise of 3.4% against growth of 1.6% for the wider economy.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said “This is a strong performance by the Japanese Travel & Tourism sector which reinforces the role of our sector as major contributor to economic growth and job creation. International arrivals have been very strong in recent years as Japan looks to its target of 40 million international visitors by the time of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.”

Other highlights of the report released today show:

Travel & Tourism supported 4.2 million jobs in 2017 (6.4% of total Japanese employment)
By 2028 over 4.5 million jobs in Japan are forecast to be dependent on Travel & Tourism
Japan is the 4th largest travel economy in the world

Ms Guevara continued: “Travel & Tourism creates jobs, drives economic growth and helps build better societies. This is particularly the case in Japan where the tourism economy is growing at more than double the rate of the wider economy. This makes Travel & Tourism the perfect partner for the creation of quality long-term jobs and economic growth. We commend the Japanese Government for their commitment to creating a thriving tourism sector and managing long-term growth in a sustainable way which protects both natural resources and destination integrity.

“Globally, 2017 was one of the strongest years of GDP growth in a decade. Our sector now supports one in ten jobs on the planet and contributes 10% of global GDP. Over the past ten years, one in five of all jobs created across the world has been in the sector and, with the right support from Governments, nearly 100 million new jobs could be created over the decade ahead.”

2017 was a record year for Indonesian Travel & Tourism with the sector contributing IDR787,100 billion to the nation’s economy, more than any other year on record, according to major new research released today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Overall, the Indonesian Travel & Tourism economy grew by 6.4% – faster than the 5.1% recorded for the wider economy.

Other highlights of the report released today show:

Travel & Tourism supported 12.2 million jobs in 2017 (10% of total Indonesian employment) – the 4th highest of any country in the world
By 2028 almost 17 million jobs in Indonesia are forecast to be dependent on Travel & Tourism
Travel & Tourism is forecast to grow by 6.4% on average every year for the next decade – the 7th highest in the world

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said “Travel & Tourism creates jobs, drives economic growth and helps build better societies. This is particularly the case in Indonesia, which is growing faster than almost every other country in the world. Much of this growth can be attributed to the positive decision by the Government to remove travel visas for citizens of 169 countries which has made Indonesia one of the most open countries in the world.”

“Globally, 2017 was one of the strongest years of GDP growth in a decade. Our sector now supports one in ten jobs on the planet and contributes 10% of global GDP. Over the past ten years, one in five of all jobs created across the world has been in the sector and, with the right support from Governments, nearly 100 million new jobs could be created over the decade ahead.”

India will add around 10 million jobs in the Travel & Tourism sector by 2028 according to a major new report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

WTTC forecasts that the total number of jobs which are dependent in some form on Travel & Tourism will increase from 42.9 million in 2018 to 52.3 million in 2028.

India is currently the seventh largest Travel & Tourism economy in the world. Overall, the total contribution of the sector to the economy was INR15.2 trillion (US$234 billion) in 2017, or 9.4% of the economy once its direct, indirect and induced benefits are taken in to account. This is forecast to more than double to INR32 trillion (US$492 billion) by 2028.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said “Travel & Tourism creates jobs, drives economic growth and helps build better societies. This is particularly clear in India which is forecast to be one of the fastest-growing tourism economies in the world over the next decade adding 10 million jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy by 2028.

“There are some extremely proactive steps which have been introduced by the Government to increase the number of international visitors and to position itself as a destination of choice among travellers worldwide. Particularly, we recognise the introduction of e-Visa for 163 countries and the launch of Incredible India 2.0 Campaign with major improvement in the marketing and PR strategy.

“Looking to the future, India can strategically lead travel facilitation within the SAARC region by introducing a standard technological solution, modern technology and biometrics. This will enhance the travel and tourism economies in the region.

“While the country-wide change to GST is a welcome move, the Indian Government could consider looking again at the level of GST in the hospitality sector to make it more competitive with other countries in the region.

“The Indian aviation market is expanding with rapid advancement in connectivity within India. Indian airlines have booked 900 plus new aircrafts to add capacity and expand operations over next couple of years. However, airport capacity remains an issue, so we would recommend greater adoption of secondary airports across cities with multimodal connectivity between the existing and secondary ones for better passenger facilitation.

“We would also urge the public and private sectors to work together to prepare crisis management plans so the country is fully prepared with proper systems and processes in place, that can be deployed, should there be a crisis.

Tourists in France spent €44.3 billion in 2017 an annual increase of 6.4% – 50% higher than the world average growth of 4.3%, according to major new research released today by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Overall, the total contribution of Travel & Tourism to the French economy in 2017 was €204.3 billion, once all the direct, indirect and induced benefits were taken into account. This means that 8.9% of the entire French economy is dependent in some way on Travel & Tourism.

Other highlights of the report released today show:

Travel & Tourism supported 2.8 million jobs in 2017 (10% of total French employment)
By 2028 over 3.3 million jobs in France are forecast to be dependent on Travel & Tourism
France is the 8th largest travel economy in the world

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said “Travel & Tourism creates jobs, drives economic growth and helps build better societies. This is particularly the case in France, which has the most international visitors of any country in the world and which ranks as the 8th largest tourism economy.

“The growth in visitor spending and the commitment to long-term job creation reflects positively on France’s public and private sectors working together under the leadership of the Government to create a model of recovery and resilience.

“Globally, 2017 was one of the strongest years of GDP growth in a decade. Our sector now supports one in ten jobs on the planet and contributes 10% of global GDP. Over the past ten years, one in five of all jobs created across the world has been in the sector and, with the right support from Governments, nearly 100 million new jobs could be created over the decade ahead.”

Germany has retained its position as Europe’s largest Travel & Tourism economy, according to new research released by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) today.

The research shows that Germany’s Travel & Tourism sector contributed €348.1 billion to the country’s economy in 2017. This was ahead of the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said “Travel & Tourism creates jobs, drives economic growth and helps build better societies. This is particularly the case in Germany, the largest travel economy in Europe and the third in the world.

“The data also shows that tourism in Germany grew by 1.7% in 2017. This compares to 9.8% growth in China, 6.2% in the United Kingdom, 7% in Spain, and 5.5% in Canada. This implies that Germany is not getting its fair share of growth as other countries are increasing their tourism at a faster rate. In fact, our research shows that by 2028, India will overtake Germany for the world number three position.

“This means there is a huge opportunity for Germany to grow tourism to increase jobs and exports. According to recent WTTC research, Travel & Tourism employs more people in Germany than automotive manufacturing, banking, chemicals and financial services; so the tourism sector is the best partner Germany can have in creating new jobs. It is important that the Government puts our sector at the heart of decision making so I welcome the recent indication by Chancellor Merkel at ITB Berlin that a senior ministerial appointment for tourism will be made.

Highlights of the report released today show:

In total Travel & Tourism supported 6.1 million jobs in 2017, rising to over 6.5 million jobs by 2028, representing 15% of all German employment
The travel sector contributed €348.1 billion to the German economy in 2017
Germany is the 3rd largest travel economy in the world
The travel sector grew by 1.7% in 2017

“Globally, 2017 was one of the strongest years of GDP growth in a decade. Our sector now supports one in ten jobs on the planet and contributes 10% of global GDP. Over the past ten years, one in five of all jobs created across the world has been in the sector and, with the right support from Governments, nearly 100 million new jobs could be created over the decade ahead.”