The United States remains the world’s leading tourism market, according to Wttc . data

The United States maintains its global leadership as a major tourism marketAlthough the sector’s contribution to national GDP declined by $700 billion in 2019, it fell to just under $1.3 trillion last year.

The data is that of research by Oxford Economics for the Wttc, which then shows that there were no changes in the rankings of the top three countries, with China in second and Germany in third. But the arrangement is deceptive, as major economies have boosted their numbers thanks to domestic travel, while international visitors have fallen. The United States was left out of the top spot in the pre-pandemic period when it came to spending by international travelers.

“The report shows the resilience of the travel and tourism industry, despite the impact of travel restrictions around the world,” said Julia Simpson, Wttc President and CEO. Despite the challenging macro environment, the sector has recovered. The world, with some exceptions, is back for travel. And the We are seeing a resumption of business travel. In the next ten years, the growth of tourism will exceed the growth of the global economy.”

The UK has fallen dramatically from fifth place in 2019 to ninth place in 2021, with a contribution of just over $157 billion, the largest drop among the top 10 countries. In terms of international traveler spending, France, which was fourth before the pandemic, overtook Spain, China and the United States to take the top spot.

Across Asia Pacific, major travel and tourism markets, such as Thailand and Japan, have taken a hit in international spending, knocking both markets out – fifth and eighth, respectively. Pandemic – totally out of the top 20 markets in 2021.