Tourist in Europe. Photo: Shutterstock Global investment in the travel and tourism sector surpassed $1 trillion in 2025, helping the industry contribute a record $11.6 trillion to global GDP, according to the latest Economic Impact Research (EIR): Global Trends Report released by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
The report, sponsored by Chase Travel, found that travel and tourism investment grew 8.5% year over year, outperforming the broader global economy and reinforcing the sector's role as one of the world's strongest drivers of economic growth, employment, and infrastructure development.
According to WTTC, the United States, China, India, and Saudi Arabia accounted for nearly half of all global travel and tourism capital investment in 2025, together investing close to $500 billion.
Each of these markets is expanding through a combination of large-scale infrastructure projects, supportive government policies, and growing confidence from private investors.
China continues to pursue its ambition of becoming a global tourism powerhouse, with its travel investment pipeline projected to reach $402 billion by 2036 under successive national development plans.
India is investing heavily in airport expansion, connectivity, and destination development, while maintaining policies designed to encourage foreign investment across the tourism sector.
In the United States, global events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, are expected to support continued tourism growth alongside ongoing investments in transportation and infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia remains one of the world's fastest-growing tourism investment markets as the Kingdom accelerates projects under its Vision 2030 strategy, including new destinations, resorts, airports, and entertainment developments aimed at transforming the country into a leading global tourism hub.
WTTC President and CEO Gloria Guevara said destinations making long-term investments today are positioning themselves to capture future visitor spending, employment opportunities, and sustainable economic growth.
"The message from this research is clear: investment and growth go hand in hand," Guevara said.
The report also highlights countries already benefiting from strategic tourism policies.
Spain emerged as one of Europe's strongest performers, with travel and tourism contributing 15.3% of national GDP, generating approximately $130 billion in international visitor spending, and supporting one in every seven jobs. WTTC attributes much of this success to sustained public investment, digitalization initiatives, infrastructure improvements, and the Spain Tourism Strategy 2030.
Beyond Europe, Indonesia is forecast to become one of the world's fastest-growing outbound travel markets, while the Netherlands is expected to record Europe's strongest growth in tourism capital investment over the next decade.
Other standout markets include Rwanda, which continues expanding its leisure tourism sector, Malta, which recorded the European Union's fastest post-pandemic tourism recovery, Singapore, a global leader in business travel, and Thailand, where international visitor spending is expected to grow strongly in the coming years.
Looking ahead, WTTC forecasts travel and tourism will contribute $17.1 trillion to the global economy by 2036, while supporting nearly 89 million additional jobs worldwide.
Despite ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges, the organization believes continued investment, improved infrastructure, and government policies that encourage travel will help sustain one of the world's fastest-growing industries over the next decade.