The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced that global tourism achieved an unprecedented milestone in 2025, with over 1,500m international travellers recorded—equating to 219,000 daily arrivals and 80m more than in 2024.
This surge contributed 6.7pc to global GDP, generating 11.7 trillion dollars (about 10.65 trillion euros) and one in three new jobs worldwide. Spain emerged as a top performer, attracting a record 96.5m international visitors, a 2.9pc increase from the prior year, contributing 16pc to its economy (around 260,000m euros) and supporting 3.2m jobs.
The WTTC, now headquartered in Madrid after relocating from London due to Brexit challenges and Europe’s tourism dominance, praised Spain’s public policies and connectivity. In contrast, the United States saw a decline in foreign spending by 19,000m dollars amid policy shifts under President Donald Trump, highlighting a shift towards balanced domestic-foreign tourism models in countries like Spain and France.
