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, according to World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
The Council’s latest Economic Impact Research Trends Report, sponsored by Chase Travel, further forecasts the Travel & Tourism will contribute a record $11.6 trillion to the global economy by 2036.
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.
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 U.S. 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 program, 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, says the WTTC.
The report concludes that while geopolitical uncertainty and economic headwinds will continue to shape the global landscape, the long-term outlook for Travel & Tourism remains exceptionally strong.
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