“Travel and tourism accelerate after effective recovery,” says WTTC in new global report | News
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched its latest global report (1), ‘Accelerating Travel & Tourism Recovery – Global Evidence from Four Decades of Crises’, at its historic Leadership Cruise event in Egypt. This sends a strong message to governments, investors and travelers around the world: tourism always bounces back.
The report, which was unveiled aboard the ship Crystal Serenity as world leaders transited the Suez Canal, was developed in partnership with Chemonics International and George Washington University Business School and draws on four decades of global data to confirm the sector’s structural resilience. In more than 100 major crisis events, no long-term destination has collapsed once a crisis ends, especially under strong government leadership. The recovery is not only consistent, but in most cases leads to stronger growth.
Egypt itself, where the Leadership Summit was held, is an example of such resilience, which has recovered strongly after several crises.
The launch comes at a crucial time for global travel and tourism, as the industry continues to navigate geopolitical uncertainty while driving economic growth worldwide. According to the latest data from WTTC, travel and tourism contributed $11.6 trillion to global GDP in 2025 (9.8% of the global economy) and supported 366 million jobs, one in nine worldwide.
A sector defined by resilience
WTTC’s new research confirms that recovery is not a matter of ‘if’, but of ‘how fast’. Even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most severe global shock in modern history, international travel recovered from a 72% decline in 2020 to 1.47 billion arrivals in 2024 (the same as 2019) and in 2025 international visitor spending reached a record $2.02 trillion.
Similarly, the sector recovered within just two years after the 2008 global financial crisis, setting new records for international visitor numbers and reaching $1.35 trillion in international visitor spending in 2010.
The report shows that in most cases, destinations not only recovered but also exceeded their previous peaks, demonstrating that disruption often creates opportunities for transformation, investment and growth.
Leadership Cruise: A Global Platform for Recovery
The report was launched at WTTC’s first-ever Leadership Cruise, bringing together ministers, former heads of state and CEOs from across the global travel and tourism ecosystem.
The event, organized by the Egyptian government, served as a high-level platform to accelerate recovery through public-private partnerships, with discussions focused on restoring connectivity, rebuilding traveler confidence and shaping the next decade of sector growth.
The symbolic passage through the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most critical global trade routes, underscored the central message of both the event and the report: global connectivity and cooperation are fundamental to recovery.
Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of WTTC, said: “Today we are sending a clear and evidence-based message to the world: Travel and tourism always recovers. This report proves what our industry has shown time and time again: resilience is built into our DNA. Even after the toughest crises, people continue to travel and destinations come back stronger, with faster action leading to faster recovery.”
The launch of this report during our Leadership Cruise in Egypt, at such a crucial time, reinforces the importance of leadership, coordination and trust in accelerating the recovery. The question is not whether the sector will recover, but how quickly we choose to enable that recovery.”
Anna Slother, president of Chemonics International, added: “Chemonics has spent decades supporting tourism and economic development in complex environments, where disruption is inevitable. Partnering with WTTC brings that practical experience into a global framework, linking strategy to realities on the ground. At the end of that chain are the jobs, micro-enterprises and small tourism businesses that are most vulnerable to crises and that benefit most from effective recovery. That is who preparedness ultimately serves, and who we remain committed to support.”
Ibrahim Osta, Senior Economic Growth Director & Global Tourism Lead, Chemonics International, said: “During every major tourism crisis in which I have supported governments and industry leaders, from geopolitical instability to terrorism and pandemics, recovery has never been accidental. The destinations that emerged stronger were those that combined decisive leadership, public-private coordination and sustained support for the small businesses and communities that form the backbone of the visitor economy.”
From recovery to growth
The report emphasizes that the speed and strength of the recovery depend primarily on the quality of policy responses, in particular coordination between governments and the private sector, clear communication and sustainable investments in times of crisis.
It identifies four pillars for building a resilient tourism framework and accelerating recovery: restoring traveler confidence, maintaining business continuity, ensuring a decisive institutional response and driving long-term structural adjustment.
The report also outlines five key evidence-based principles for policymakers and investors to achieve a faster recovery: invest countercyclically at the depths of the crisis, protect SMEs as the backbone of the sector, preserve air connectivity as a strategic asset, avoid overreactions in messaging and policy, and use disruption to drive progress through transformation and diversification.
As highlighted during the Leadership Cruise discussions, these principles are already shaping the next phase of the industry: moving beyond recovery to long-term sustainable growth.
A defining moment for the sector
The launch of “Accelerating Travel & Tourism Recovery” marks a defining moment for the global industry and reinforces WTTC’s role as a voice of the private sector and a driver of global leadership.
As Travel & Tourism continues to recover and evolve, the message from Egypt is clear: confidence is returning, connectivity is strengthening and the sector remains one of the world’s most resilient and dynamic drivers of economic growth.
[1] Please note that this is a summary. The full report will be published later in May.
