WTTC: Global Tourism Making Robust Comeback, Recovering Faster than Expected

WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson speaking at the opening press conference of the World Travel and Tourism Council’s annual global summit in Kigali, Rwanda. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

Kigali, Rwanda – Global tourism is showing a faster recovery this year than initial expectations, despite economic and geopolitical turmoil, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) President & CEO Julia Simpson said on Wednesday.

Speaking during the launch of the WTTC’s 23rd Global Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, Simpson referred to the latest data from WTTC and its partner Oxford Economics.

“Our previous predictions in March have been exceeded by travel & tourism’s current performance… Every single region is growing faster than we had originally predicted, so once again our sector has shown its true resilience in returning and reopening post the pandemic,” she said at the summit’s opening press conference.

Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

More specifically, world tourism arrivals are expected to rise by five percent this year, relative to 2019 levels and three percent more than predicted in March.

In Europe, tourism arrivals are expected to rise three percent in 2023, compared to 2019 levels, according to the October forecast. In March the data had predicted that arrivals would be two percent behind 2019 levels.

Tourism industry to be worth $15 trillion by 2033

In 2019, the global tourism industry was valued at $10 trillion, representing 10.4 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).

According to Simpson, global tourism lost some 50 percent of its value during the pandemic, making it probably the hardest hit industry.

“China, which is one of the biggest travel and tourism economies, only opened this year and is still going through processes… But we’re practically there and what’s interesting is that in the next 10 years, travel and tourism is going to go way ahead of that $10 trillion and be worth $15 trillion,” Simpson said, referring to the findings from the WTTC’s 2023 World Economic Impact Report on travel.

Growing back better means growing sustainably

Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

Moreover, Simpson stressed that tourism is recovering but sustainability needs to be at its center.

According to the WTTC’s latest Environment Impact Research (ESR) data, released in collaboration with the Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC) of the Saudi Arabia Tourism Ministry and Oxford Economics, Travel & Tourism sector’s share of greenhouse gas emissions was 8.1 percent in 2019. The sector’s share of global energy consumption amounted to 10.6 percent in 2019 while the sector also represented 0.9 percent of total global water consumption that year.

“During the pandemic people talked about growing back better… Growing back better means growing sustainably,” she said.

WTTC SVP Advocacy & Communications Virginia Messina, Rwanda Development Board CEO Francis Gatare, WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson and WTTC Chairman Arnold Donald. Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

The WTTC’s 23rd Global Summit will run until Friday. As host to the first ever WTTC Global Summit in Africa, the event in Kigali, will feature footballing legend Didier Drogba; Justin Urquhart-Stewart, Global Economist and renowned business commentator; Francis Gatare, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board; as well as Heads of State from the region.

Other speakers include Ineza Umuhoza Grace, Climate Activist; Juliet Slot, Chief Commercial Officer at Arsenal Football Club; and David Pekoske, TSA Administrator of the United States.

WTTC Members, international media, and government representation from over 45 countries are also attending the event in Kigali.