Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2000-2021

Travel and tourism accounted for 6.1 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, denoting an increase over 2020 but not catching up with the figures reported prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Overall, the total contribution of travel and tourism to the global GDP amounted to roughly 5.8 trillion U.S. dollars in 2021.

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 2021, the number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide was still 13 percent lower than in 2019, despite experiencing an annual increase. Meanwhile, total travel and tourism spending worldwide stayed way below pre-pandemic levels in 2021.

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 slightly rose in 2021. That said, it stayed far from the peak of nearly 1.5 billion reported in 2019. Despite the sharp drop in travelers, Europe remained the global region with the highest number of international tourist arrivals in 2021.