Global aviatourism investment crosses $1 trillion in 2025: WTTC

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) unveiled its latest 'Economic Impact Research (EIR): Global Trends Report' on 5 August 2026, showing that global travel and tourism investment exceeded $1 trillion in 2025, growing by 8.5% year-on-year, according to a press release issued by WTTC.

The report, sponsored by Chase Travel as lead research partner, shed lights on how investment and policy support are major drivers of growth in the sector. Travel & Tourism outperformed the wider global economy, contributing a record $11.6 trillion to world GDP.

The findings reinforce the importance of sustained capital investment in driving job creation, destination development and long-term economic growth. WTTC frames the results as evidence that investment and growth go hand in hand.

The research identifies major markets shaping the sector’s next phase of expansion. The United States, China, India and Saudi Arabia together accounted for almost half of all global travel and tourism capital investment in 2025, contributing nearly $500 billion. Each market is expanding investment pipelines through infrastructure development, supportive government policies, and growing private sector confidence.

China’s ambition to become a global tourism powerhouse is backed by successive five-year plans and a projected investment pipeline expected to reach $402 billion by 2036. India, meanwhile, is expanding connectivity, destination development programmes and its open investment environment.

In the United States, major infrastructure investment, strong domestic demand, and a pipeline of global events including the FIFA World Cup 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics are expected to support continued expansion. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is driving one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism investment programmes, supported by large-scale destination projects and investor-friendly reforms.

Spain has emerged as one of Europe’s standout success stories, with Travel & Tourism contributing 15.3% of national GDP, generating $130 billion in international visitor spending, and supporting one in every seven jobs. The report attributes this success to €3.4 billion in EU recovery funding for tourism sustainability, digitalisation, and infrastructure. It also cites the implementation of the Spain Tourism Strategy 2030.

Gloria Guevara, president & CEO of WTTC, said: “The message from this research is clear: investment and growth go hand in hand. The destinations and economies making long-term commitments to Travel & Tourism today are positioning themselves to capture tomorrow’s jobs, visitor spending, and economic opportunities. Travel & Tourism has once again proven its resilience and its ability to outperform the wider economy."

"As governments and investors look for engines of sustainable growth, our sector continues to deliver returns through employment, infrastructure development, and prosperity for communities around the world,” she continued.

Other examples highlighted include:

•    Indonesia, forecast to become one of the world’s fastest-growing outbound travel markets
•    The Netherlands, expected to record Europe’s strongest growth in Travel & Tourism capital investment
•    Rwanda, one of Africa’s fastest-growing leisure tourism economies
•    Germany, home to Europe’s largest Travel & Tourism sector
•    Malta, Singapore, and Thailand, cited for recovery, business travel, and visitor spending growth

Travel & Tourism is forecast to contribute $17.1 trillion to the global economy by 2036 and support almost 89 million additional jobs. WTTC believes governments have a significant opportunity to harness the sector’s momentum through policies that facilitate travel, support business confidence, and prioritise Travel & Tourism as a strategic economic driver.

The report concludes that while geopolitical uncertainty and economic headwinds will continue to shape the global landscape, the long-term outlook for the sector remains exceptionally strong. With demand continuing to grow and investment accelerating across key markets, WTTC believes the next decade presents a significant opportunity to create jobs and strengthen economies. The findings position sustained investment as central to the sector’s future success.