The World Travel & Tourism Council report revealed that the sector will support one in three new jobs worldwide by 2035, based on research across 20 economies including surveys of business leaders and interviews with stakeholders.
In 2024, the sector supported 357m jobs globally, projected to rise to 371m this year, with 91m new roles expected over the next decade.
By 2035, demand for workers in travel and tourism will exceed supply by more than 43m people, resulting in labour availability 16pc below required levels.
The hospitality industry anticipates a gap of 8.6m workers, or 18pc below needed staffing, with over 20m additional low-skilled roles required, particularly those involving human interaction that resist automation.
Largest absolute shortfalls are forecast in China with 16.9m, India with 11m and the European Union with 6.4m, while relative gaps are highest in Japan at 29pc, Greece at 27pc and Germany at 26pc.
Gloria Guevara shared, “Travel & Tourism is set to remain one of the world’s biggest job creators, offering opportunities forms of people worldwide. But we must also recognize that wider demographic and structural changes are reshaping labour markets everywhere.”
Many workers left the sector during COVID when Travel & Tourism came to a standstill. Now, as global unemployment is expected to fall and working age populations to shrink, this is creating an increased pressure on labour supply, especially for fast growing sectors like Travel & Tourism.”
This report is a call to action. By working together with governments and educators, our sector will meet these challenges and continue to be one of the most rewarding sectors, offering dynamic futures for the next generations.”
