Global travel and tourism investment exceeded $1 trillion in 2025

The research, sponsored by Chase Travel, Lead Research Partner, shows that global Travel & Tourism investment exceeded $1 trillion in 2025, growing by 8.5% year-on-year, as the whole sector outperformed the wider global economy and contributed a record $11.6 trillion to world GDP.

The findings reinforce the importance of sustained capital investment in driving job creation, destination development, connectivity, and long-term economic growth.

WTTC’s latest data highlights how major Travel & Tourism investment markets are helping shape the sector’s next phase of growth. The United States, China, India, and Saudi Arabia together accounted for almost half of all global Travel & Tourism capital investment in 2025, contributing nearly $500 billion. Each market is expanding investment pipelines through a combination of infrastructure development, supportive government policies, and growing private sector confidence.

China, India, Saudi Arabia and USA show the way, tells WTTC
From China’s ambition to become a global tourism powerhouse, backed by successive Five-Year Plans and a projected Travel & Tourism investment pipeline expected to reach $402 billion by 2036, to India’s rapidly expanding connectivity, destination development programs and open investment environment, strategic investment is helping shape some of the world’s most dynamic tourism markets.

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. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 is driving one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism investment programs, supported by large-scale destination projects, investor-friendly reforms and substantial public and private sector capital commitments.

Together, these four nations illustrate how long-term investment strategies are strengthening competitiveness, attracting visitors, and creating the foundations for future Travel & Tourism success.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, 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.”

As 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 prioritize Travel & Tourism as a strategic economic driver.

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