Tourism is growing compared to 2025

The travel and tourism sector cemented its position as the fastest-growing sector globally in 2025, far outpacing the growth rate of the global economy, according to data from the latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

The report, produced in collaboration with Chase Travel, noted that the sector’s contribution to global GDP reached a record high of US$11.6 trillion in 2025, equivalent to 9.8% of the global economy.

It specified that tourism growth—at 4.1%—exceeded the global economy’s growth by nearly 50%, which stood at 2.8% last year.

The sector’s dynamism was also reflected in employment, generating 366 million jobs worldwide in 2025 alone, the WTTC highlighted.

In North America, GDP grew by just 1%, contributing US$3.05 trillion, in a context marked by challenges in the recovery of international tourism and the maturity of its markets.

In this context, Mexico stood out as the only country with performance exceeding that of 2019—which was the best year for global tourism before the pandemic.

“The scale of global travel is equally remarkable. With 1.54 billion international overnight arrivals—equivalent to 4.2 million people daily—the sector continues to connect the world at an extraordinary pace, surpassing both the levels of the previous year and those from before the pandemic,” said Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of the WTTC.