Building on the success of its Economic Impact Research (EIR), WTTC, in collaboration with Oxford Economics, launched Environmental & Social Research (ESR) in order to measure Travel & Tourism's environmental footprint and its contribution to employment across different groups in society. ESR covers 185 economies and 22 regions around the world. The findings from ESR also allow the sector to compare its progress against the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Travel & Tourism's Environmental Footprint
- In 2024, Travel & Tourism's contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounted for 7.3% of all GHG emissions globally, compared to a share of 8.3% in 2019.
- Transportation was the largest contributor to the sector's GHG emissions, at a 40% share, followed by 19% share for Utilities.
- Travel & Tourism's GHG emissions intensity, which measures the rate of emissions per dollar of economic contribution, has fallen 15% between 2019 and 2024.
- Although the proportion of low-carbon energy sources (such as solar energy) has improved marginally (by one percentage point) between 2019 and 2024, fossil fuels continue to dominate Travel & Tourism's energy mix.
Travel & Tourism's Social Impact
- In 2024, 39.6% of direct Travel & Tourism jobs were held by female workers, almost in line with the wider economy.
- Young workers (aged 15 to 24) made up 15.7% of direct T&T employment, higher than the share of youth in the wider economy.
- Almost 32% of direct Travel & Tourism jobs were in high-wage industries.
Travel & Tourism's Tax Contributions
- In 2024, Travel & Tourism's total contribution to tax stood at $3.5 trillion globally (which represents one-tenth of all government revenues).
Recent WTTC Reports That Feature ESR Results:
Below are some of our recent ESR reports.
