Travel & Tourism reduces emissions intensity while economy expands
On 30 September 2025, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), together with Omran, released the 2025 Environmental & Social Research (ESR). The report shows that the sector has already exceeded its pre‑pandemic economic level, yet its carbon footprint is still lower than in 2019.
Global travel and tourism emissions in 2024 fell 9.3 % compared with the 2019 peak, representing 7.3 % of total world greenhouse‑gas emissions, down from 8.3 %.
At the same time, the sector’s contribution to global GDP grew by 6 % to US$10.9 trillion, up from US$10.3 trillion in 2019. The reduction in emissions intensity – emissions per unit of economic output – reached 15 % since 2019.
Key drivers are a 16.6 % increase in low‑carbon energy use and a 5.7 % decline in fossil‑fuel consumption.
WTTC interim CEO Gloria Guevara emphasized the need to accelerate sustainable fuels, renewable electricity and low‑carbon infrastructure, noting that transport accounts for 40 % of sector emissions, purchased electricity 19 % and supply‑chain activities 57.4 %.
Social impact continues to improve: travel and tourism now supports 126 million women workers, 6.3 million more than the previous year, and youth employment rose by 2.3 million, reaching 15.7 % of sector jobs.
In Italy, women hold 48.6 % of direct tourism jobs, well above the national average of 42.7 % and the global sector average of 40.9 %.
Tax revenues from travel and tourism reached US$3.5 trillion in 2024, a 6.1 % increase over 2019 and roughly one‑tenth of total global government revenues. WTTC calls on policymakers to consider these contributions before introducing new tourism‑specific taxes and to reinvest revenues into local communities and infrastructure.
Partners highlighted include Omran, the Italian Ministry of Tourism, ENIT, the Municipality of Rome and the Lazio Region, among others.
Download the full ESR factsheet and press release.
Source: wttc.org
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