WTTC: The global Travel & Tourism sector reduces its greenhouse gas emissions

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in collaboration with Omran, today launched its Environmental and Social Research (ESR) 2025, which shows that while the sector has surpassed its pre-pandemic contribution to the economy, its carbon footprint remains below 2019 levels and its positive social impact continues to grow.

According to the global tourism body, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the Travel & Tourism sector in 2024 decreased by 9.3% compared to 2019, when the sector peaked, and now represent 7.3% of total global emissions, up from 8.3% in 2019.

While the sector's environmental impact decreased, its contribution to GDP grew 6% above its pre-pandemic level, from $10.3 trillion in 2019 to $10.9 trillion last year.

This decline reflects a reduction in emissions intensity (emissions per unit of economic output), which has fallen by 15% since 2019, with the sector generating more and more economic value while producing fewer emissions.

Most of this decrease in intensity is due to efficiency improvements, including a 16.6% increase in the adoption of low-carbon energy across the sector and a 5.7% reduction in fossil fuel use.

WTTC Interim CEO Gloria Guevara said: “This is clear evidence that the Travel & Tourism sector can grow while reducing its environmental impact. But we must continue to accelerate action. Our data shows that 40% of our emissions come from transport and an additional 19% from purchased electricity. We also know that 57.4% of our emissions come from our supply chain.”

We must redouble our efforts in sustainable fuels, renewable energy, and low-carbon infrastructure, and effective public-private partnerships are key to achieving this.”

Social impact: more jobs, more opportunities

The Travel and Tourism sector supports one in ten jobs worldwide. Crucially, it plays an important role in social inclusion, providing key employment opportunities for women and young people, thereby promoting positive social change.

In 2024, the sector employed 126 million women, an increase of 6.3 million over the previous year and exceeding the pre-pandemic level by 4.3 million.

Youth employment in the sector grew by 2.3 million in 2024, exceeding 2019 levels by 2.4 million. The proportion of young people directly employed in the sector exceeds the average for the economy as a whole, at 15.7% compared to 13.7%.

The ESR results confirm the sector's growing role in environmental and social progress.

Dr. Hashil Al Mahrouqi, CEO of Oman Tourism Development Company, said: "At OMRAN Group, we are proud to partner with WTTC as a Sustainability Data Provider, reinforcing Oman's commitment to sustainable tourism development. This collaboration allows us to bring robust data and insights to the global stage, helping to design evidence-based strategies that balance economic growth with sustainability leadership.

"We see this partnership as a catalyst to accelerate our own sustainability agenda, inspire our partners, and contribute to global efforts to transition to sustainable tourism and empower local communities."

“The Travel & Tourism sector is generating positive change in economies and societies,” Guevara added. “From creating quality jobs to reducing our share of global emissions, our sector demonstrates that it can be resilient and responsible. With the right partnerships, the sector will continue to be a positive force for people, the planet, and prosperity.”

Tax contribution

In 2024, the sector generated $3.5 trillion in tax revenue, up from $3.3 trillion in 2019, representing a 6.1% increase and equivalent to one-tenth of global government revenue.

The WTTC urges policymakers to recognize this important contribution before implementing new tourism-specific taxes and to ensure that revenues are strategically reinvested in local communities and infrastructure to generate positive environmental and social impacts.

Source: WTTC.