U.S. Stays World’s Largest Travel & Tourism Market However WTTC Warns That the Nation is at a Crossroads

The United States remained the most important Travel & Tourism market on the earth in 2025 however is shedding market share in line with the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) newest Economic Impact Research, sponsored by its Lead Research Partner, Chase Travel.

While 2025 noticed the very best yr ever for the Travel & Tourism sector by way of GDP progress of 4.1%, the story was very completely different for North America, which was the slowest-growing area globally, rising simply 1.0%, and by solely 0.9% within the U.S. 

80 million extra individuals travelled internationally in 2025 in contrast with the yr earlier than but they selected different locations. U.S. customer numbers declined 5.5% in opposition to 2024 and worldwide customer spending fell 4.6% to US$176 billion. 

While the U.S. continues to steer in scale, contributing US$2.63 trillion to world GDP, WTTC highlights that the nation is now at a crossroads in its tourism growth. With the fitting actions, it has a big alternative to revive worldwide customer spending, maintain job creation, and strengthen its world management – notably as competitors intensifies from fast-rising markets in Asia Pacific, resembling China.

In 2025, the Travel & Tourism sector within the U.S. supported 20.4 million jobs, up 1.2% year-on-year, and added roughly 242,000 new jobs, a constructive sign for each the sector and the broader financial system. Domestic customer spending remained sturdy at US$1.54 trillion, up 0.3% year-on-year and 14.3% above pre-pandemic ranges.

Sustaining this momentum will rely upon growing funding and promotion of the United States, rebuilding worldwide demand, altering notion and guaranteeing the U.S. stays aggressive as a world vacation spot.

With the nation set to co-host main soccer occasions in 2026, WTTC highlights a big and quick alternative. The occasion is anticipated to convey round 1.24 million international guests in the course of the event interval, providing a robust platform to showcase the American expertise, and convert guests into promoters of journey to the nation.

China, the second largest market on the earth, is quickly gaining floor, with Travel & Tourism contributing US$1.75 trillion to GDP in 2025, rising 9.9% year-on-year and supporting 84.6 million jobs (+2.0%). Both worldwide customer spending (up 10.5% to US$135 billion) and home spending (up 10.7% to US$890 billion) noticed sturdy positive aspects.

This momentum displays the broader energy of Asia-Pacific, now the fastest-growing Travel & Tourism area globally. The area’s GDP grew 8.2% in 2025 to achieve US$3.29 trillion, with a number of markets outperforming the worldwide common, led by Malaysia (11.2%) and the Philippines (10.8%), adopted by China (9.9%), India (7.3%), and Indonesia (7.2%).

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC, stated:

“The United States remains the largest Travel & Tourism market in the world and has an amazing foundation. To avoid losing its leadership position the U.S. must invest in promoting its attractiveness, both in international markets and during the summer of football; change perception and position the U.S. as a welcoming destination; and grow international visitor spend, encouraging stopovers and new experiences.”

Jason Wynn, CEO of Chase Travel, stated:

“As WTTC’s latest research shows, the U.S. Travel & Tourism sector continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, supporting millions of jobs and driving trillions of dollars in economic growth even amid global headwinds. With the U.S. set to host a series of global events through 2028, we have an extraordinary opportunity to welcome new visitors and bring travellers from around the world closer together, fostering meaningful connections across countries and communities.“

“At Chase Travel, we are committed to being the go-to partner and provider for both domestic and international travel, leveraging our world class marketplace to empower travellers, advisors, and partners to elevate every trip and drive lasting growth for the industry.” 

WTTC will proceed working with governments and business leaders to help sustainable Travel & Tourism progress, strengthen competitiveness, and make sure the sector stays a driver of jobs, funding, and financial alternative.

Chase Travel stays devoted to creating journey extra accessible and rewarding for cardmembers by connecting them to trusted companions, seamless reserving and help, and the experiences that matter most.

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_{Rob Morris at The PC Agency via [email protected]}

_{About WTTC:}

_{The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the global, private-sector voice of the Travel & Tourism industry. Its members include the Chairmen/women, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world’s leading travel and tourism companies, spanning airlines, hotels, cruise lines, tour operators, technology firms and more. Through this unified membership, WTTC works with governments and international institutions to drive sustainable growth, support exports, create jobs, and deliver prosperity globally.}  

_{For more than three decades, WTTC has championed the economic and social contribution of Travel & Tourism. Its rigorous, data-driven research quantifies the sector’s impact — on GDP, employment, exports and wider societal benefits — helping shape policies, raise awareness, and foster public-private collaboration. www.wttc.org}

 

_{About Chase Travel Group:} 

_{Chase Travel Group is a world, full‑service journey supplier inside JPMorganChase. It delivers a variety of providers, together with customized journey planning and administration, leisure and enterprise bookings, B2B journey options, occasion providers, and company journey consulting. The portfolio contains Chase Travel, VWT by Chase Travel, FROSCH by Chase Travel, and Chase Travel Corporate Solutions. Together, these manufacturers mix superior know-how with excessive‑contact service to supply seamless, finish‑to‑finish journey experiences.}