The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) acknowledges Spain as Europe’s ‘success case’. In the global arena, investment is largely driven by the U.S., China, India, and Saudi Arabia. A study by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) titled ‘Economic Impact Research (EIR): Global Trends Report’ highlights how investment and public policy support are key to the growth of this industry. The research shows that global investment in travel and tourism exceeded $1tn in 2025, with year-over-year growth of 8.5%, while the sector as a whole outperformed the global economy as a whole and contributed a record $11.6tn to global GDP. 

The United States, China, India, and Saudi Arabia together accounted for nearly 50% of all global capital investment in travel and tourism in 2025, contributing nearly $500bn. Spain has established itself as one of Europe’s major success stories, with a travel and tourism sector that accounts for 15.3% of the national GDP, generates $130,000mn in spending by international visitors, and supports one in every seven jobs. Over the next decade, Indonesia is expected to become one of the world’s fastest-growing outbound tourism markets, while the Netherlands is projected to see the highest growth in Europe in capital investment in travel and tourism, and Rwanda continues to establish itself as one of Africa’s fastest-growing leisure tourism economies. With travel and tourism projected to contribute $17.1tn to the global economy by 2036 and create nearly 89mn additional jobs, the WTTC believes that governments have a significant opportunity to harness the sector’s momentum through policies that facilitate travel, bolster business confidence, and prioritize travel and tourism as a strategic economic driver.