LONDON—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in partnership with Omran, unveiled its Environmental & Social Research (ESR) 2025, showing that while the sector has surpassed its pre-pandemic economic peak, its carbon footprint remains below 2019 levels, and its positive social impact continues to grow.
According to the global tourism body, Travel & Tourism’s global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2024 have fallen by 9.3 percent since 2019, when Travel & Tourism was at its peak, and now accounts for a 7.3 percent share of total global GHG emissions, down from an 8.3 percent share in in 2019.
While the sector’s environmental impact decreased, its GDP footprint grew 6 percent beyond its pre-pandemic peak from $10.3 trillion in 2019 to $10.9 trillion last year.
This decline reflects a reduction in emissions intensity (emissions per unit of economic output) which has fallen by 15 percent since 2019, with Travel & Tourism steadily generating more economic value while producing fewer emissions.
The majority of the decline in intensity has been driven by improvements in efficiency, including a 16.6 percent uptick in the adoption of low-carbon energy across the sector, and a 5.7 percent drop in the use of fossil fuels.
WTTC Interim CEO Gloria Guevara said: “This is clear evidence that Travel & Tourism can grow while reducing its environmental impact. But we need to continue to accelerate action. Our data shows that 40 percent of our emissions lie in transport, and a further 19 percent in purchased electricity. We also know that 57.4 percent of our emissions lie in our supply chain. We must double down on sustainable fuels, renewable energy, and low-carbon infrastructure, and key to achieving this is effective public-private partnerships.”
Social Impact: More Jobs, More Opportunities
Travel & Tourism supports one in 10 jobs globally. Crucially, the sector plays a significant role in advancing social inclusion, providing critical employment opportunities for women and youth; and thereby driving a positive social change.
In 2024, the sector supported 126 million female workers, an increase of 6.3 million over the previous year and surpassing the pre-pandemic peak by 4.3 million.
Youth employment in the sector rose by 2.3 million in 2024, exceeding 2019 levels by 2.4 million. The share of youth in Travel & Tourism outperforms the wider economy, with the direct youth share of T&T employment at 15.7 percent, compared to 13.7 percent for the overall economy.
A Force for Good
The ESR results confirm Travel & Tourism’s growing role in advancing environmental and social progress.
Dr. Hashil Al Mahrouqi, CEO of Oman Tourism Development Company, said: “At OMRAN Group, we are proud to partner with WTTC as its Sustainability Data Partner, reinforcing Oman’s commitment to sustainable tourism development. This collaboration allows us to bring robust data and insights to the global stage, helping shape evidence-based strategies that balance economic growth with sustainability leadership. We see this partnership as a catalyst to accelerate our own sustainability agenda, inspire our partners, and contribute to global efforts in the move towards sustainable tourism and empowering local communities.”
“Travel & Tourism is driving positive change across economies and societies,” added Guevara. “From creating high-quality jobs to reducing our share of global emissions, our sector is proving it can be both resilient and responsible. With the right partnerships, the sector will continue to be a force for good for people, planet, and prosperity.”
Tax Contribution: Strong Revenues for Governments
In 2024, Travel & Tourism generated $3.5 trillion in tax revenues, up from $3.3 trillion in 2019, representing a 6.1 percent increase, and one-tenth of total global government revenues.
WTTC is urging policymakers to acknowledge this substantial contribution before implementing new tourism-specific taxes, and to ensure that revenues are invested back strategically into local communities and infrastructure in order to catalyze positive environmental and social impacts.
Italy Spotlight
In Italy, women represent 48.6 percent of direct Travel & Tourism jobs, significantly higher than the national average of 42.7 percent and above the global sector average of 40.9 percent. This reinforces the sector’s important role in advancing gender equality within the Italian workforce.
Young people also benefit from opportunities in the sector. Youth aged 15 to 24 are almost twice as highly represented in the Travel & Tourism workforce compared to the overall economy, at 9.2 percent compared to 5.1 percent.
The Global Summit is hosted in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Tourism, ENIT (the Italian national tourist board), the Municipality of Rome, and the Lazio Region. Other WTTC Partners include Antonio Lefebvre d’Ovidio Di Bolsonaro Philantrophy, Arsenale Spa, Chase Travel (JPMC), Giacomo Milano, MMGY, MSC Group, Terme di Saturnia, and Trip.com Group.
