tourism industry employment numbers

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• Travel and tourism employment worldwide 2019-2033

Number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide from 2019 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2033 (in millions)

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Statistics on " Tourism worldwide "

• Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2019-2033
• Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2019-2033
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• Global leisure travel spend 2019-2022
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• Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023
• Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region
• Global hotel and resort industry market size worldwide 2013-2023
• Leading hotel companies worldwide 2023, by number of properties
• Hotel openings worldwide 2021-2024
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• Market value of selected airlines worldwide 2023
• Global passenger rail users forecast 2017-2027
• Daily ridership of bus rapid transit systems worldwide by region 2023
• Number of users of car rentals worldwide 2019-2028
• Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023
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• Market size of museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks worldwide 2022-2027
• Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022
• Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022
• Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023
• Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028
• Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023
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• Hotel technologies global consumers think would improve their future stay 2022
• Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment
• Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028
• Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region
• Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

Other statistics that may interest you Tourism worldwide

• Basic Statistic Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2019-2033
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2019-2033
• Basic Statistic Leading global travel markets by travel and tourism contribution to GDP 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Global leisure travel spend 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Global business travel spending 2001-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023
• Basic Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism employment worldwide 2019-2033
• Premium Statistic Global hotel and resort industry market size worldwide 2013-2023
• Premium Statistic Most valuable hotel brands worldwide 2023, by brand value
• Basic Statistic Leading hotel companies worldwide 2023, by number of properties
• Premium Statistic Hotel openings worldwide 2021-2024
• Premium Statistic Hotel room openings worldwide 2021-2024
• Premium Statistic Countries with the most hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide 2022
• Premium Statistic Airports with the most international air passenger traffic worldwide 2022
• Premium Statistic Market value of selected airlines worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Global passenger rail users forecast 2017-2027
• Premium Statistic Daily ridership of bus rapid transit systems worldwide by region 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of users of car rentals worldwide 2019-2028
• Premium Statistic Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023
• Premium Statistic Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type

Attractions

• Premium Statistic Market size of museums, historical sites, zoos, and parks worldwide 2022-2027
• Premium Statistic Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list 2023, by type
• Basic Statistic Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023

Online travel market

• Premium Statistic Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028
• Premium Statistic Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023
• Basic Statistic Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Leading online travel companies worldwide 2020-2022, by revenue CAGR
• Premium Statistic Leading online travel companies worldwide 2022-2023, by EV/EBITDA

Selected trends

• Premium Statistic Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2022
• Premium Statistic Sustainable initiatives travelers would adopt worldwide 2022, by region
• Premium Statistic Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Airbnb nights and experiences booked worldwide 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Technologies global hotels plan to implement in the next three years 2022
• Premium Statistic Hotel technologies global consumers think would improve their future stay 2022
• Premium Statistic Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment
• Premium Statistic Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

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Further Content: You might find this interesting as well

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• Travel and tourism contribution to employment in Netherlands 2017, by type
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Tourism industries - employment

Data extracted in January 2022.

Planned article update: 13 May 2024.

Persons employed in total tourism industries as share of those employed in non-financial business economy, 2019 (%)

• (¹) Total tourism industries: NACE classes: H491, H4932, H4939, H501, H503, H511, I551, I552, I553, I561, I563, N771, N7721 and division N79.
• (³) Non-financial business economy: NACE sections: B-N_S95_X_K (Total business economy; repair of computers, personal and household goods; except financial and insurance activities).
• Note: No data available for EE, IE, FR, LU, NL, PT, SI. Full description of economic activities covered, see under "Data sources".
• Source: Eurostat (online data codes: sbs_na_sca_r2, sbs_na_1a_se_r2)

This article presents recent statistics on employment in the tourism industries in the European Union (EU). Tourism statistics focus on either the accommodation sector (data collected from hotels, campsites, etc.) or on tourism demand (data collected from households), and relate mainly to physical flows (arrivals or nights spent in tourist accommodation or trips made by a country’s residents). However, this analysis of employment in tourism is based on data from other areas of official statistics, in particular structural business statistics (SBS), the labour force survey (LFS), the structure of earnings survey (SES) and the labour cost survey (LCS).

This article analyses the tourism sector with a focus on its contribution to the labour market in the EU and its potential to create jobs for economically less advantaged socio-demographic groups or regions.

Full article

In 2019, the tourism industries employed over 12.5 million people in the eu.

Economic activities related to tourism (but not necessarily relying only on tourism — see the section "Data sources" for further details) employed over 12.5 million people in the European Union (see Table 1). Nearly 7.4 million of these people worked in the food and beverage industry, while 2 million were employed in transport. The accommodation sector (not including real estate) accounted for more than 2.5 million jobs in the EU; travel agencies and tour operators accounted for nearly half a million. The three industries that rely almost entirely on tourism (accommodation, travel agencies/tour operators, air transport) employed nearly 3.4 million people in the EU. These three industries will from now on be referred to as the "selected tourism industries".

In 2019 the tourism industries accounted for more than 22 % of people employed in the services sector. When looking at the total non-financial business economy, the tourism industries accounted for nearly 10 % of people employed. Among the Member States, Greece recorded the highest share (27.8 % or more than one in four people employed) followed by Cyprus and Malta with respectively one in five and more than one in seven people employed working in the tourism sector (see Figure 1).

In absolute terms, Germany had the highest employment in the tourism industries (2.6 million people, not including passenger rail transport interurban), followed by Italy (1.7 million) and Spain (1.6 million, not including taxi operation). These three Member States accounted for nearly half (48 %) of employment in the tourism industries across the EU.

In 2019, one out of four (25 %) people employed in the selected tourism industries, worked in micro-enterprises that employ fewer than 10 people. This share is by four percentage points lower than the 29 % observed for the total non-financial business economy (see Figure 2). Looking at the three selected tourism industries separately, 39 % of employment in travel agencies and tour operators was in micro-enterprises while for the accommodation sector this figure was 25 %. Not surprisingly, small and medium-sized enterprises (< 250 staff) are of minor importance in air transport, with 89 % of people employed in the sector working in companies employing 250 people or more.

The economic crisis of 2008 led to a fall in total employment which started recovering in 2014 and reached the before crisis levels in 2016 (see Figure 3). However, this was not the case for the services sector, including the selected core tourism industries, which during the period 2008-2016 has had an average annual growth rate of +2.4 %. More specifically, during this period, the selected tourism industries registered an average annual growth of +2.0 %, while the average growth for the tourist accommodation sector was +3.8 %. This shows the tourism industry’s potential as a growth sector, even in times of economic turmoil that significantly affect other sectors of the economy.

The positive trend in employment in the selected core tourism industries continued until 2019 when the number of people employed in the sector reached +17 % compared with 2008.

In 2020, COVID-19 pandemic has slowed economic activity and, as a result, the labour market. It clearly had a negative impact on employment but also pushed out people of unemployment by affecting their availability or their job search. Tourism was one of the most affected sectors due to the resulting travel restrictions, health protocols and the drop in demand among tourists. This was reflected to the employment in the selected tourism industries, with a sharp drop by -16 % in 2020 compared with 2019. This drop was significantly higher than the -3 % and -4 % observed for the non-financial business economy and the services sector respectively.

Characteristics of jobs in tourism industries

2020 was a special year due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures taken to contain the virus caused a severe economic recession. There was a hiring freeze in almost all the sectors with tourism being one of the most affected. People with less formal education, young people, people on temporary contracts or foreign workers were more likely to lose their job or have difficulties finding a job in tourism (see Table 3).

Tourism creates jobs for women

The tourism industry is a major employer of women (see Table 2, Figure 4 and Table 2A in the excel file ). In 2020, compared with the total non-financial business economy where 36 % of people employed were female, the labour force of the tourism industries included more female workers (58 %) than male workers. The highest proportions were seen in travel agencies and tour operators (64 %), followed by the accommodation sector (60 %). Even though nearly three out of ten women working in the tourism industries worked part-time (compared with just over one in ten men), women working full-time still represented the biggest share of employment (41 %, see Figure 4). Female employment accounted for less than half of tourism industry employment in only two Member States (Luxembourg and Malta); for the accommodation sector this was the case only for Malta. In Estonia, Latvia, Romania and Slovakia, more than two out of three people employed in tourism were women.

Part-time employment significantly higher in the tourism industries

In 2020, the proportion of part-time employment in the tourism industries (23 %) was significantly higher than in the total non-financial business economy (15 %) and was comparable to the figure for the services sector as a whole (20 %) (see Table 2, Figures 4 and 5, and Table 2B in the excel file ). Within the three selected tourism industries, the proportion of part-time employment in the accommodation sector and in travel agencies and tour operators was 23 %, while in air transport 22 % of staff worked on a part-time basis. In most Member States for which data is available, the tourism industries had a higher proportion of part-time employment than the rest of the economy. This was not the case for the popular tourism destinations of Greece, Spain and Cyprus where the proportion of part-time work in the tourism industries was equal or lower than in the rest of the economy. In Slovenia, the proportion of part-time workers in tourism was more than double compared to the economy as a whole.

Tourism attracts a young labour force

Traditionally, the tourism industries have a particularly young labour force, as these industries can make it easy to enter the job market. In 2020 however, the COVID-19 crisis has affected labour market of young people aged 15-24 more than the other age groups. With a drop of -25 % compared with 2019, the impact on youth employment in the selected tourism industries was even harder than the impact on this age group in the rest of the non-financial business economy where the drop was -8 % (see Table 3 and Figure 6).

The share of young workers in the selected tourism industries remained however high in 2020, with close to one in ten people (9.5 %) aged 15 to 24, while only 8.2 % of the labour force in the non-financial business economy were young workers. In the big majority of EU countries with available data, the share of young workers in tourism industries was above the proportion seen in the economy as a whole. The highest proportions of employed people aged 15 to 24 were registered in Denmark (21 %), Ireland and the Netherlands (both at 19 %) (see Table 2 and Table 2C in the excel file ). In the subsector of accommodation, 11 % of the people employed were between 15 and 24 years old (see Figure 6a), while in the three above mentioned countries, at least 23 % of persons employed in this sector were aged 15 to 24.

The tourist accommodation sector gives more opportunities to lower educated workers

The previous sections showed that tourism employs more female workers and young workers. In 2020, people with a lower educational level (those who have not finished upper secondary schooling) were more or less equally represented on the labour market as a whole and in the tourism sector (respectively 19 % and 18 %) — see Table 2, Figure 7 and Table 2D in the excel file . However, in the subsector of accommodation, 23 % of people employed had a lower educational level. In Malta and Portugal at least two out of five people employed in tourist accommodation belong to this group. However in these two countries lower educated people are more represented in the whole labour force compared with the rest of EU countries.

In 2020, however, as in the case of youth employment, people with a lower educational level were hit the hardest from the COVID-19 impact on employment. The drop in the employment in the selected tourism industries was -23 % for this group of workers, while it was -6 % in the non-financial business economy (see Table 3 and Figure 7a).

Nearly one in seven people employed in tourism are foreign citizens

Many foreign citizens work in tourism-related industries (see Table 2, Figure 8 and and Table 2E in the excel file ). In 2020, they accounted for 13 % of the labour force in tourism industries (of which 6 % were from other EU Member States and 7 % were from non-EU countries). In the services sector as a whole, the proportion of foreign citizens employed was 11 %, and in the total non-financial business economy it was 9 %. Looking at this in more detail, we see that foreign workers made up 9 % of the workforce in air transport and 10 % in travel agencies or tour operators, but 15% of the workforce in accommodation (i.e. more than one in seven people employed in this sub-sector was a foreign citizen).

In three EU Member States, more than one in three people employed in the selected tourism industries were foreign citizens: Cyprus (34 %), Luxembourg (58 %) and Malta (40 %).

In 2020 compared with 2019, the drop in the number of foreign workers was more significant in the selected tourism industries (-27 %, reaching -30 % in the segment of foreign citizens employed in the accommodation sector) than in the non-financial business economy (-4 %) (see Table 3).

Jobs are less stable in tourism than in the rest of the economy

Since tourism tends to attract a young labour force, often at the start of their professional life (see above, Table 2 and Figure 6), certain key characteristics of employment in this sector are slightly less advantageous than in other sectors of the economy.

The likelihood of occupying a temporary job was significantly higher in tourism than in the total non-financial business economy (18% versus 12 % of people employed) – see Table 2, Figure 9 and Table 2F in the excel file . There are big differences across the European Union (ranging from less than 3 % of temporary contracts in tourism in Estonia, Lithuania and Romania to more than 30 % in Greece, Italy, Cyprus and Poland). In all but five countries (Estonia, Spain, Lithuania, Hungary and Malta), fewer people have a permanent job in tourism than in the economy on average. In Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus, the proportion of temporary workers was three to four times higher in tourism than in the non-financial business economy as a whole. In the accommodation sector, more than one in five people employed did not have a permanent contract.

In 2020 compared with 2019 however, the drop in the number of people working with a temporary contract was -36 % in the selected tourism industries, significantly higher than the drop in the total non-financial business economy where it was -16 % (see Table 3).

Similarly, the likelihood of an employee holding their current job for less than one year (see Table 2, Figure 10 and Table 2G in the excel file ) was also higher in tourism than in the non-financial business economy as a whole (15 % versus 13 %). In the economy on average, more than three out of four employees (77 %) had worked with the same employer for two years or more, while in tourism this is the case for 73 % of people employed. Air transport tends to offer more stable jobs, with only 6 % of employees having job seniority of less than one year, compared with 18 % in accommodation and 10 % for people employed by travel agencies or tour operators. More than one third of the workforce in the accommodation sector had held their job for less than one year in Greece and Cyprus.

However, as seen in the previous sections, employment in tourism was seriously affected by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared with 2019, the drop in the number of people working with a temporary contract was -36 % in the selected tourism industries while in the non-financial business economy this was -16 % (see Table 3).

Regional issues in tourism activities

Regions with high tourist activity tend to have lower unemployment rates

Tourist activity can have a negative impact on the quality of life of the local population in popular tourist areas. However, the influx of tourists can also boost the local economy and labour market.

Comparing regional data on tourism intensity (e.g. the annual number of nights spent by tourists per capita of local population) with regional unemployment rates or their deviation from the national average unemployment rate, we see that in 2019, 22 of the 30 regions with the highest tourism intensity had an unemployment rate below the national average.

Table 4 lists the regions with a tourism intensity over 20 (tourism nights per local inhabitant). In all but three of these 20 regions, the unemployment rate lied below the national average. Two of the three regions where this did not hold true, the Canary Islands and Madeira, are island regions relatively remote from the mainland (and the mainland’s economy).

Earnings and labour costs in the tourism industries

Hourly earnings and labour costs in the accommodation sub-sector are below the average for the economy as a whole

Besides employment rates, another important feature of labour market analysis concerns labour costs for employers and earnings for employees. This section takes a look at hourly labour costs and hourly gross earnings, both in the economy as a whole and in the selected tourism industries.

In the EU as a whole, labour costs and earnings tend to be significantly lower in the tourism industries than they are in the total economy. In the economy, the average hourly labour cost was €25.6 in 2016 and average hourly earnings were €15.7 in 2018. In the three selected tourism industries (air transport, accommodation, travel agencies & tour operators) the average hourly labour cost was €23.6 in 2016 and the average gross hourly earnings amounted to €13.3 in 2018 (see Table 5 and Figure 11).

Given the characteristics of tourism jobs outlined above, this observation does not come as a surprise: a relatively young labour force (see Figure 6a) with a higher proportion of temporary contracts (see Figure 9) and lower job seniority (see Figure 10) has a comparative disadvantage on the labour market, which leads to lower labour costs and earnings. For the accommodation sector — which employs more people with a lower educational level and more part-timers — the differences are even higher. In 2018, for people employed in the accommodation sub-sector, gross hourly earnings were €11.0. For air transport, they were €26.5 (well above the average for the economy as a whole), and for travel agencies and tour operators they were €14.4.

Gross hourly earnings in tourism were highest in Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway and Switzerland, but these countries were also among the top ten countries with highest average hourly earnings in the total economy (see Table 5 and Figure 12).

In 2016 only seven EU Member States had higher hourly labour costs in tourism than the total economy: Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia (see Table 5 and Figure 13); for gross hourly earnings, this was the case only for Latvia. Comparing the accommodation subsector with the economy as a whole, both hourly average labour costs and earnings were lower for those employed in accommodation, and this was true across the EU (see Figure 14).

Source data for tables and graphs

Data sources

This article includes data from four different sources:

• Structural business statistics (SBS) .
• EU labour force survey (EU-LFS) .
• Labour cost survey (LCS) .
• Structure of earnings survey (SES) .

This data is available at a detailed level of economic activity, which makes it possible to identify and select industries that are part of the tourism sector.

For Eurostat, tourism industries (total) include the following NACE Rev.2 classes:

• H4910 — Passenger rail transport, interurban
• H4932 — Taxi operation
• H4939 — Other passenger land transport n.e.c
• H5010 — Sea and coastal passenger water transport
• H5030 — Inland passenger water transport
• H5110 — Passenger air transport
• I5510 — Hotels and similar accommodation
• I5520 — Holiday and other short-stay accommodation
• I5530 — Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks
• I5610 — Restaurants and mobile food service activities
• I5630 — Beverage serving activities
• N7710 — Renting and leasing of motor vehicles
• N7721 — Renting and leasing of recreational and sports goods
• NACE division N79 — Travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities.

However, many of these activities provide services to both tourists and non-tourists – typical examples include restaurants catering to tourists but also to locals and rail transport being used by tourists as well as by commuters. For this reason, this publication focuses on the following selected tourism industries which rely almost entirely on tourism:

• H51 — Air transport (including H512 ‘Freight air transport’ which accounts for 6.0 % of employment in H51).
• I55 — Accommodation (including I559 ‘Other accommodation’ which accounts for 1.7 % of employment in I55).
• N79 — Travel agency, tour operator reservation service and related activities (including N799 ‘Other reservation service and related activities’ which accounts for 12.9 % of employment in N79).

According to a United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) publication titled " Tourism highlights ", the EU is a major tourist destination, with four of its Member States among the world’s top 10 destinations in 2019. Tourism has the potential to contribute towards employment and economic growth, as well as to development in rural, peripheral or less-developed areas. These characteristics drive the demand for reliable and harmonised statistics within this field, as well as within the wider context of regional policy and sustainable development policy areas.

Tourism can play a significant role in the development of European regions. Infrastructure created for tourism purposes contributes to local development, while jobs that are created or maintained can help counteract industrial or rural decline. Sustainable tourism involves the preservation and enhancement of cultural and natural heritage, ranging from the arts to local gastronomy or the preservation of biodiversity .

In 2006, the European Commission adopted a Communication titled " A renewed EU tourism policy: towards a stronger partnership for European tourism " (COM(2006) 134 final). It addressed a range of challenges that will shape tourism in the coming years, including Europe’s ageing population, growing external competition, consumer demand for more specialised tourism, and the need to develop more sustainable and environmentally-friendly tourism practices. It argued that more competitive tourism supply and sustainable destinations would help raise tourist satisfaction and secure Europe’s position as the world’s leading tourist destination. It was followed in October 2007 by another Communication, titled " Agenda for a sustainable and competitive European tourism " (COM(2007) 621 final), which proposed actions in relation to the sustainable management of destinations, the integration of sustainability concerns by businesses, and the awareness of sustainability issues among tourists.

The Lisbon Treaty acknowledged the importance of tourism — outlining a specific competence for the EU in this field and allowing for decisions to be taken by a qualified majority. An article within the Treaty specifies that the EU "shall complement the action of the Member States in the tourism sector, in particular by promoting the competitiveness of Union undertakings in that sector". " Europe, the world’s No 1 tourist destination — a new political framework for tourism in Europe " (COM(2010) 352 final) was adopted by the European Commission in June 2010. This Communication seeks to encourage a coordinated approach for initiatives linked to tourism and defined a new framework for actions to increase the competitiveness of tourism and its capacity for sustainable growth. It proposed a number of European or multinational initiatives — including a consolidation of the socioeconomic knowledge base for tourism — aimed at achieving these objectives.

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Economic Impact Research

• In 2023, the Travel & Tourism sector contributed 9.1% to the global GDP; an increase of 23.2% from 2022 and only 4.1% below the 2019 level.
• In 2023, there were 27 million new jobs, representing a 9.1% increase compared to 2022, and only 1.4% below the 2019 level.
• Domestic visitor spending rose by 18.1% in 2023, surpassing the 2019 level.
• International visitor spending registered a 33.1% jump in 2023 but remained 14.4% below the 2019 total.

Click here for links to the different economy/country and regional reports

Why conduct research?

From the outset, our Members realised that hard economic facts were needed to help governments and policymakers truly understand the potential of Travel & Tourism. Measuring the size and growth of Travel & Tourism and its contribution to society, therefore, plays a vital part in underpinning WTTC’s work.

What research does WTTC carry out?

Each year, WTTC and Oxford Economics produce reports covering the economic contribution of our sector in 185 countries, for 26 economic and geographic regions, and for more than 70 cities. We also benchmark Travel & Tourism against other economic sectors and analyse the impact of government policies affecting the sector such as jobs and visa facilitation.

Visit our Research Hub via the button below to find all our Economic Impact Reports, as well as other reports on Travel and Tourism. 

UN Tourism | Bringing the world closer

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Statistics of tourism

The United Nations recognizes the World Tourism Organization as the appropriate organization to collect, to analyse, to publish, to standardize and to improve the statistics of tourism, and to promote the integration of these statistics within the sphere of the United Nations system.

“Official statistics provide an indispensable element in the information system of a democratic society, serving the government, the economy and the public with data about the economic, demographic, social and environmental situation.”

Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics

The UNWTO Statistics Department is committed to developing tourism measurement for furthering knowledge of the sector, monitoring progress, evaluating impact, promoting results-focused management, and highlighting strategic issues for policy objectives. 

The department works towards advancing the methodological frameworks for measuring tourism and expanding its analytical potential, designs practical guidance for their implementation in countries, supports statistical strengthening in countries through capacity building, and compiles and disseminates tourism statistics of countries all over the world.

The United Nations recognizes the World Tourism Organization as the appropriate organization to collect, to analyses, to publish, to standardize and to improve the statistics of tourism , and to promote the integration of these statistics within the sphere of the United Nations system.

Tourism Statistics Database

UNWTO systematically gathers tourism statistics from countries and territories around the world into a vast database that constitutes the most comprehensive statistical information available on the tourism sector. 

COVID-19 AND TOURISM STATISTICS

With new situations emerging from the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, some clarifications need to be made to the UN statistical standards on tourism to maintain as far as possible data consistency and international comparability

By Bastian Herre, Veronika Samborska and Max Roser

Tourism has massively increased in recent decades. Aviation has opened up travel from domestic to international. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of international visits had more than doubled since 2000.

Tourism can be important for both the travelers and the people in the countries they visit.

For visitors, traveling can increase their understanding of and appreciation for people in other countries and their cultures.

And in many countries, many people rely on tourism for their income. In some, it is one of the largest industries.

But tourism also has externalities: it contributes to global carbon emissions and can encroach on local environments and cultures.

On this page, you can find data and visualizations on the history and current state of tourism across the world.

Interactive Charts on Tourism

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Travel and Tourism

Travel and tourism satellite account for 2017-2021.

The travel and tourism industry—as measured by the real output of goods and services sold directly to visitors—increased 64.4 percent in 2021 after decreasing 50.7 percent in 2020, according to the most recent statistics from BEA’s Travel and Tourism Satellite Account.

Data & Articles

• U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 2017–2021 By Sarah Osborne - Survey of Current Business February 2023
• "U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 2015–2019" By Sarah Osborne - Survey of Current Business December 2020
• "U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 2015-2017" By Sarah Osborne and Seth Markowitz - Survey of Current Business June 2018
• Tourism Satellite Accounts 1998-2019
• Tourism Satellite Accounts Data Sheets A complete set of detailed annual statistics for 2017-2021 is coming soon -->
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Previously Published Estimates

• Data Archive This page provides access to an archive of estimates previously published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Please note that this archive is provided for research only. The estimates contained in this archive include revisions to prior estimates and may not reflect the most recent revision for a particular period.
• News Release Archive

What is Travel and Tourism?

Measures how much tourists spend and the prices they pay for lodging, airfare, souvenirs, and other travel-related items. These statistics also provide a snapshot of employment in the travel and tourism industries.

What’s a Satellite Account?

• TTSA Sarah Osborne (301) 278-9459
• News Media Connie O'Connell (301) 278-9003 [email protected]

• Tourism employment

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Employment in tourism data refer to people or jobs. In the case of people, the data refer to employees only or to employees and self-employed people (employed people). Full-time equivalent employment is the number of full-time equivalent jobs, defined as total hours worked divided by average annual hours worked in full-time jobs.

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Tourism Employment Tracker

The Labour Force Survey (LFS), conducted by Statistics Canada, is the source of monthly employment estimates for Canadian industries. The monthly LFS sample size is approximately 56,000 households, covering 100,000 individuals.

Tourism HR Canada receives customized LFS tables that follow the Tourism Satellite Account’s definition of tourism. This allows Tourism HR Canada to track employment and unemployment in the tourism sector and compare it with the overall economy. This customized LFS data, publicly available LFS data, and other data sources on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and mobility were used to develop the following month-by-month charts.

In addition to this ongoing tracking, we summarize the key points each month. You can receive these updates by subscribing to our bi-weekly newsletter, Tourism HR Insider .

View the latest monthly employment summary

Note: Tourism HR Canada’s customized labour force survey data is seasonally unadjusted. Therefore, comparisons to the overall employment and unemployment rates also utilize unadjusted data. For that reason, total employment and unemployment numbers may differ from those reported elsewhere.

Tourism Employment

Unemployment rate, tourism business openings and closures, entry and exit from the tourism labour force, total actual hours worked, gross domestic product, employment by demographic groups, employment by type of geographic region, employment by occupational and industry earnings, economic indicators, additional tourism resources.

Chart 1 tracks the total number of individuals employed in Canada’s tourism sector for each month and compares it to monthly employment in 2019. Users can select data for Canada or each province at the right-hand side of the chart. Additional graphs can be selected using the arrow at the bottom of the chart window. Graphs two and three in the series show employment levels relative to other provinces. Graph four shows the month-over-month change in employment (blue bars) and the year-to-date change in employment compared to December 2019 (orange bars). Graph five breaks out the month-over-month change in employment by employment type (full-time or part-time).

Chart 1: Tourism Employment by Province

Chart 2 displays the same employment information but for each of the five industry groups that make up the tourism sector. Additional graphs can be selected using the arrow at the bottom of the chart. Graph two in the series shows the amount of monthly employment in each industry group relative to each other. Graph three shows the month-over-month change in employment (blue bars) and the year-to-date change in employment compared to December 2019 (orange bars). Graph four breaks out the month-over-month change in employment by employment type (full-time or part-time).

Chart 2: Tourism Employment by Industry Group

Please note that data for each industry group by province is available, but there is high variability in monthly industry group data at the provincial level. To request data, please email [email protected].

Chart 3 displays the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate for tourism and the overall labour force, comparing the pandemic and post-pandemic unemployment rates to the unemployment rate for 2019, nationally and by province. Monthly unemployment rates for each industry group are also available. Under normal circumstances, tourism’s unemployment rate trends downward as the summer season approaches.

Note that Canadians are only counted as unemployed if they are actively seeking another job. Unemployment by industry associates unemployed individuals with their former industry for one calendar year. After one year of unemployment, they are still considered unemployed, but are not classified by industry. Thus, in April 2021, tourism unemployment dropped as long-term unemployed tourism employees were reclassified.

Chart 3: Tourism Unemployment Rate

Statistics Canada produces estimates of the number of business openings and closures each month. In addition, this data tracks the number active businesses, defined as “those businesses that reported having one or more employees in a given month”.

Data for the tourism sector was recently added to the data set, allowing us to track the ongoing number of active business in our sector. Chart 4 presents this data using a logarithmic scale, which can be tailored by industry group and by province for which data is available.

The data does not distinguish between a permanent closure or a temporary closure due to seasonality.

Please note: the data shown are seasonally adjusted experimental estimates of business openings and closures. Data is revised monthly. Recent months may contain data points that should be used with caution. For further information, email [email protected] .

Chart 4: Tourism Business Openings and Closures

Chart 5 tracks the total number of individuals in the tourism sector’s labour force. The tourism labour force is the total number of individuals who are employed in tourism plus the total number of unemployed individuals seeking work whose last job (within one calendar year) was in the tourism sector. Graph one in the series displays data for each month and compares it to monthly employment in 2019. Graph two looks at the total number of individuals entering or leaving the tourism labour force on a month-over-month basis and on a year-to-date basis with December 2019 as the anchor point. The overall labour force number is important because it shows the total number of experienced tourism workers who are available to work in the sector. Decreases in the labour force can be due to either employment dropping (and those unemployed workers choosing not to seek work) or unemployed tourism workers finding jobs in other industries.

Chart 5: Workforce Entry and Exit

Chart 6 displays the monthly percentage change in employment and actual hours worked each month compared to the same month in 2019.

Graph two in the series shows the total number of actual hours worked by tourism employees in each month and compares it to both 2020 and 2019.

Graphs three and four show the number of hours worked in each of the sectors that are part of Statistics Canada’s regularly published data (tourism is not a published sector). However, Accommodation & Food Services and Information, Culture & Recreation have significant overlap with the tourism sector. Users can select any of the sixteen sectors individually or select multiple sectors using the CTRL or Command button. Data is available for Canada and each province. Data can be toggled between a line graph and a bar chart. The line graph shows data for the year 2019 to allow year-over-year comparisons of monthly hours worked by sector.

Chart 6: Actual Hours Worked and Employment (Monthly)

Chart 7 shows total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from all sources for fourteen tourism-related industries. On average, the GDP from tourism spending is around 2.0% of Canada’s total GDP. However, that number is only from tourism activities (both domestic and international). It does not account for money spent by locals at tourism businesses like restaurants or recreation facilities. The following chart shows total GDP from all sources. It compares the monthly GDP for 2019 onward. Please note that there is a longer lag time to receive GDP data than labour force data.

The default setting shows total GDP across the entire Canadian economy. Users can select each of the tourism-related industries individually or select multiple industries using the CTRL or Command function to see the total GDP of those industries.

Chart 7: Gross Domestic Product (Monthly)

Chart 8 tracks male and female employment levels within tourism and its five industry groups. In February 2020, women made up 48.1% of employed workers in tourism and were the majority of employees in the accommodations, food and beverage services, and travel services industry groups.

Graph one in the series shows the total number of employed male and female workers by month since January 2019. Graph two shows the monthly change in employment levels for women and men compared to the same month in 2019.

Chart 8: Employment by Gender (Monthly)

Chart 9 tracks employment in tourism by age group using a logarithmic scale.

Graph one in the series shows the total number of employed tourism workers by age group for each month since January 2019. Graph two shows the size of the tourism labour force in each age category, the number of unemployed workers in each age category, and the unemployment rate by month. Graph three shows the monthly change in employment (as a percent of the same month’s employment in 2019).

Chart 9: Employment by Age Category (Monthly)

Chart 10 shows employment levels for each age group and allows you to cross-tabulate age with gender. Graphs two and three in the series show this data for each province.

Chart 10: Employment by Age and Gender

Chart 11 tracks employment in tourism by immigrant status.

Graph one in the series shows the total number of immigrant and non-immigrant workers in tourism by month since January 2019.

Graph two shows the monthly change in employment for immigrants and non-immigrants compared to the same month in 2019. As a percentage, employment losses in tourism have been greater for non-immigrants. This is because employment losses in tourism have been greater for young workers than older workers. Young workers are less likely to be immigrants.

Chart 11: Employment by Immigration Status

Chart 12 tracks employment in tourism by the different types of geographic regions in Canada (urban, rural, etc.) using a logarithmic scale. Graph two in the series shows the size of the tourism labour force in each geographic region, the number of unemployed workers in each region, and the unemployment rate by month. Graph three shows the monthly change in employment as a percent of employment in February 2020.

This data shows regions attached to a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) or Census Agglomeration Area (CA) and those that are not. A CMA has a population of at least 100,000 and a CA has a population of at least 10,000.

Fringe areas have smaller populations and do not directly share a border with a CMA or CA, but are generally integrated with the CMA or CA (e.g., small bedroom communities). Rural areas associated to a CMA are similar.

Small population centres are outside of a CMA or CA and have populations of 1,000 to 10,000. Rural areas are sparsely populated areas, including small towns and villages. They can be classified as attached to a CMA/CA (e.g., close by) or unattached.

Chart 12: Employment by Type of Geographic Region

Chart 13 shows the monthly change in employment levels broken down by average annual earnings for occupations across all industries (two-digit NOC code) and for each tourism related industry (4-digit NAICS code). The occupations and industries are grouped by the average earnings employees in those occupations and industries make. Earnings are grouped by those earning less than $30,000; $30,000 to $50,000; $50,000 to $80,000; and over $80,000.

The data shows that initial employment losses (March and April 2020) were heavily concentrated in occupations where workers earn less than $50,000 a year on average. Within tourism industries, early employment losses were most pronounced within industries with average annual earnings below $30,000.

Chart 13: Occupation Employment Change Compared to February 2020

Underlying the employment trends are a number of economic indicators. In Chart 14, graphs one to four show data drawn from Statistics Canada’s data on travel between Canada and other countries. Graph one shows the number of non-resident travellers entering Canada (from the U.S. and from all other countries), which includes all travellers crossing the border who are travelling to Canada for a period of less than 12 months. Graph two shows the number of tourists entering Canada. International tourists are a subset of travellers, whose trip includes one or more overnight stays. Graphs three and four compare the number of travellers and tourists from the U.S. and from other countries. Graph five shows the percentage of travellers to Canada who are tourists.

Graphs six and seven show data drawn from the monthly operating statistics of major Canadian airlines. The graphs show airlines’ total operating revenues and the total number of passengers per month, both of which have dropped precipitously. Graph eight shows the number of aircraft movements at airports with NAV Canada towers. Aircraft movement data is more current than data for operating revenue and monthly passenger movements. The final graph shows the total number of sales at food service and drinking establishments in Canada by month and region.

Chart 14: Economic Indicators

Chart 15 displays data on mobility, provided by Google. These weekly updates show how often (relative to a baseline of zero) individuals in Canada are going to parks or retail and recreation environments. Please note that mobility data do not identify the specific activities or reasons for which people are attending parks, retail and recreation areas.

Chart 15: Mobility Changes (Parks and Retail & Recreation)

For information on global tourism, visit the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Global Tourism Dashboard .

For information on demand for tourism from Canada’s major markets and the current Canadian sentiment to welcoming visitors from abroad, check out Destination Canada’s COVID-19 Research .

Archived Monthly Employment Summaries

• 2020: March , April , May , June , July , August , September , October , November , December
• 2021: January , February , March , April , May , June-August , September , October , November , December
• 2022: January , February , March , April , May , June , July , August , September , October , November , December
• 2023: January , February , March , April , May , June , July , August , September , October , November , December
• 2024: January

This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Sectoral Initiatives Program

The opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada.

Source: Adapted from Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

Billion-dollar industry: Erie County tourism growing as visitor spending is on the rise

Tourists are bringing and spending money when they visit Erie.

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office detailed in its 2022 visitor data report that people visiting Erie spent $1.03 billion in different categories from food and beverage to lodging and more.

For the Pennsylvania Great Lakes Region, which consists of Erie, Crawford, Mercer and Venango counties, visitor spending rose 13% at $1.75 billion which surpassed the pre-pandemic levels and exceeded numbers reported from 2016-2022.

Whether it's for festivals, sporting events, concerts or just curiosity in the region, people are finding reasons to visit northwestern Pennsylvania.

“These findings highlight the pivotal role tourism plays in strengthening Pennsylvania's economy," John Oliver, CEO of VisitErie stated in a news release. "With one in 10 jobs in Erie County connected to hospitality, tourism dollars support essential services, including transportation, infrastructure, education, and public safety programs. Without this contribution, every household in Pennsylvania would bear an additional tax burden of $880."

How are visitors spending their money?

Here is a breakdown of counties that makes up the Pa. Great Lakes Region and how visitors are spending money:

• Total: $1.0388 billion
• Lodging: $121.8 million
• Food and beverage: $229.4 million
• Retail: $187 million
• Recreation: $219.9 million
• Transportation: $280.8 million

More: It's totally happening April 8 in Erie, Pa. Check out these solar eclipse viewing events.

• Total: $257.4 million
• Lodging: $13 million
• Food and beverage: $61.7 million
• Retail: $41.9 million
• Recreation: $39.4 million
• Transportation: $101.4 million
• Total: $309.8 million
• Lodging: $33.8 million
• Food and beverage: $74.4 million
• Retail: $58.9 million
• Recreation: $57.9 million
• Transportation: $84.9 million
• Total: $147.8 million
• Lodging: $10.1 million
• Food and beverage: $26.3 million
• Retail: $21 million
• Recreation: $21.7 million
• Transportation: $68.7 million

An increase in spending from 2021

How do the numbers compare to the 2021 report? Here is the 2021 tourist spending report:

• Total: $927.7 million
• Lodging: $109.8 million
• Food and beverage: $209.3 million
• Retail: $179.3 million
• Recreation: $180 million
• Transportation: $24.93 million
• Total: $220.3 million
• Lodging: $11.7 million
• Food and beverage: $53.8 million
• Retail: $38.8 million
• Recreation: $32.2 million
• Transportation: $83.8 million
• Total: $270 million
• Lodging: $27.8 million
• Food and beverage: $64.8 million
• Retail: $57.2 million
• Recreation: $46.9 million
• Transportation: $73.1 million
• Total: $127.8 million
• Lodging: $8.6 million
• Food and beverage: $22.7 million
• Retail: $19.7 million
• Transportation: $59.6 million

More: Erie is expecting heavy traffic for the April 8 solar eclipse, and not just on our roads

Erie tourism numbers back in swing post-pandemic

The numbers are showing that Erie is back on track in the tourism industry following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lowest total amount for spending in the Great Lakes Region was $1.228 billion in 2020 around the start of the pandemic.

"It continues to show that Erie has come out of the pandemic stronger than before it," Oliver said. "It shows that we're reaching and able to convince visitors that Erie is a place they should vacation at and it's evident that they are coming here to vacation and spending their dollars here benefiting our economy."

An increase in spending and job creations

The Great Lakes Region has seen spending flex from $1.665 billion in 2016 to $1.754 billion in 2022. The highest amount of visitor spending was reported in 2022.

"Certainly we would like to see spending across all categories," Oliver said. "That occurs when we are successful in attracting more visitors to the area."

For the visitor spending and employment unit of the report, the Great Lakes Region increased by 766 jobs at a 6% increase. Erie County has seen a 92.9% increase in this category since 2019. Erie County in 2022 reported 7,414 jobs supported by visitor spending in 2022.

"We're able to see the numbers on a month to month basis," Oliver said. "We're seeing on average over the course of a year over 13,000 people in Erie County that are employed in hospitality businesses."

Gov. Shapiro calls for increased funding for tourism

Gov. Josh Shapiro is calling for a $15 million increase in tourism funding in his 2024-25 budget proposal, as stated in the Pennsylvania Office of Tourism news release.

This increase would support nearly 500,000 Pennsylvanians who work in the travel and tourism industry creating a major investment to drive economic growth, leading to new businesses and jobs.

Oliver said he was encouraged by the call for increased funding.

"It wasn't that many years ago that Pennsylvania was being funded at a level of two million dollars," Oliver said. "To see the additional dollars be recommended I think shows that the governor understands and recognizes the important role that tourism plays in the overall economy for Pennsylvania."

Contact Nicholas Sorensen at [email protected] .