Leading global travel markets by travel and tourism contribution to GDP 2019-2023

In 2023, the United States was the country worldwide with the highest total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP. That year, the total GDP contribution of travel and tourism in the U.S. amounted to 2.36 trillion U.S. dollars, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. China and Germany followed in the ranking in 2023, with travel and tourism's total contributions to GDP of around 1.3 trillion and 488 billion U.S. dollars, respectively. Overall, the total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide reached almost 10 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023.

What are the most visited countries worldwide?

While the U.S. and China reported the highest figures in terms of travel and tourism contribution to GDP in 2023, it was a European destination that led the ranking of countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. With 100 million international arrivals in 2023, France was the most visited travel destination in the world that year, ahead of Spain, the United States, and Italy.

How many people work in the global travel and tourism sector?

After declining sharply due to the impact of COVID-19, the number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide bounced back in 2023, reaching around 330 million, nearly catching up with pre-pandemic levels. That year, China and India were the countries with the highest travel and tourism employment worldwide.