WTTC finds 9.3% decline in travel and tourism sector emissions from 2019
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in collaboration with Omran Group, has released its Environmental and Social Research (ESR) 2025, which confirms that the sector's activity already exceeds pre-pandemic economic levels while maintaining its carbon footprint below 2019 and reinforcing its social impact.
According to WTTC, global greenhouse gas emissions from the travel and tourism sector in 2024 are down 9.3% compared to 2019 and its weight in the global total has dropped to 7.3% (8.3% in 2019). In parallel, the contribution to global GDP is up 6 % above the pre-pandemic level, rising from $10.3 trillion in 2019 to $10.9 trillion in 2024.
The report shows a 15% drop in emissions intensity (emissions per unit of economic output), a sign of greater efficiency: the adoption of low-carbon energy has increased by 16.6% and the use of fossil fuels has decreased by 5.7%.
The interim CEO of the WTTC, Gloria Guevara, stresses that the sector can grow by reducing its environmental impact, although she has called for accelerated action: “40% of our emissions come from transportation and 19% from purchased electricity; 57.4% comes from the supply chain. We must redouble efforts in sustainable fuels, renewable energy and low-emission infrastructure through effective public-private partnerships."
On the social plane, the sector supports one in ten jobs worldwide. In 2024 it has employed 126 million women(6.3 million more than in 2023 and 4.3 million above 2019). The youth employment has increased by 2.3 million and exceeds pre-pandemic records by 2.4 million; its weight in direct employment reaches 15.7%, compared to 13.7% for the average of the economy.
In the fiscal arena, the sector's contribution amounted to 3.5 billion dollars in 2024, 6.1% more than in 2019, equivalent to one tenth of global government revenues. WTTC has urged public decision-makers to recognize this burden before introducing new specific taxes and to reinvest the proceeds in local communities and sustainable infrastructure.