A report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) shows that cities are the powerhouses of global tourism and will drive the recovery of the sector and economies around the world.
The Cities Economic Impact Report (EIR) was revealed at the 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh on November 30.
It analysed 82 international city destinations and shows that, prior to the pandemic, major cities were popular travel destinations, accounting for almost half of all international visits – both as standalone destinations and as gateways to other tourism hotspots within countries.
Throughout the pandemic and as borders began to reopen, leisure travellers swapped major metropolises for less-populated destinations such as coastal and rural hotspots, leaving the economies of international cities to battle through an incredibly tough three years.
The report shows how both leisure and business travellers are now flocking back to cities, as their draw is once again making them major international iconic tourism destinations. According to the report, 10 of the 82 cities analysed are projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels in terms of direct travel and tourism GDP contribution to the city economies this year.
Qatar's capital Doha is forecast to see the largest increase from 2019 to 2022, in terms of international traveller spending as well as in direct travel and tourism's contribution to the city's GDP, with an expected increase of 21%.
Over the next decade, travel and tourism is on track to become a key driver of economic growth once again, with faster GDP growth than other sectors, generating 126 million new jobs around the world. By 2032, this sector will directly generate up to 8% of all jobs in the 82 cities analysed in the report, up from 6,6% in 2019 and a low of 5,1% in 2020.
"Before the pandemic, cities were powerhouses for international tourists, serving as standalone destinations and as gateways to other tourist destinations within countries. This year, cities are recovering around the world, and we forecast that cities will continue to grow and thrive over the next decade,” says Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO.
