Travel and tourism is set for a milestone year as the industry’s direct contribution to the global economy is expected to pass $2 trillion in GDP and 100 million jobs.
According to research by the World Travel&Tourism Council, the global travel and tourism industry will grow by 2.8 percent in 2012, marginally faster than the global rate of economic growth, predicted to be 2.5 percent.
This rate of growth means that the travel and tourism industry is expected to directly contribute $2 trillion to the global economy and sustain some 100.3 million jobs.
When the wider economic impacts of the industry are taken into account, travel and tourism is forecast to contribute some $6.5 trillion to the global economy and generate 260 million jobs—or 1 in 12 of all jobs on the planet.
