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The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed the travel and tourism sector in Japan will provide a significant boost to the nation’s economic recovery next year, with its GDP contribution set to reach near pre-pandemic levels.
The forecast from WTTC’s Economic Impact Report (EIR) shows the sector’s contribution to Japan’s GDP could reach nearly ¥40 trillion by the end of 2023, just 2.2% below 2019 levels.
The data also reveals employment will surpass pre-pandemic levels, recovering more than 23,000 jobs, to reach more than 5.8 million by the end of the year.
Over the next decade, travel and tourism’s GDP is expected to grow at an average of 2.6% annually, more than three times the 0.7% growth rate for the country’s overall economy, to reach more than ¥46.7 trillion (7.8% of the total economy).
The forecast also reveals the sector is expected to create nearly 683,000 jobs over the next decade, averaging more than 68,000 new jobs every year, to reach more than 6.2 million employed by the end of 2032.ADVERTISEMENTBy the end of this year, the report shows the sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow a staggering 60% to more than ¥36.2 trillion, amounting to 6.5% of the total economic GDP.
While employment levels in the sector are expected to grow at a slower rate (1.9%), by the end of this year, more than 5.6 million will work in the sector.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “After the pain suffered by Japan’s travel and tourism, the outlook for the future is much brighter.
“Following two years of restrictions to mobility, which damaged the sector, there are reasons for optimism as the sector is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
“But there is still work to be done. Removing testing and facilitating international travel will further boost the sector’s growth and fast-track the recovery.”
Before the pandemic, Japan’s Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to GDP was 7.3% (¥40.8 trillion) in 2019, falling to just 3.5% (¥18.4 trillion) in 2020, which represented a shocking 54.8% loss.
The sector also supported 5.8 million jobs in 2019, falling to just below 5.3 million in 2020, when the pandemic devastated the sector.
The global tourism body’s latest EIR report also reveals that 2021 saw the beginning of the recovery for Japan’s travel and tourism sector.
Last year, its contribution to GDP climbed 22.9% year on year, to reach ¥22.7 trillion.
The sector also saw a recovery of more than 210,000 travel and tourism jobs, representing a positive rise of 4% to reach 5.5 million.
The sector’s contribution to the economy and employment could have been higher if it weren’t for the impact of the Omicron variant, which led to the recovery faltering around the world, with many countries reinstating severe travel restrictions.

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Efforts by Jamaica and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to facilitate cooperation and investment in tourism and other key areas have hit high gear as Jamaica is set to welcome its largest delegation of potential investors from the Middle East this week. This follows months of negotiations driven by Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett and his colleague Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill.
While providing an update on the initiative, Minister Bartlett disclosed that on Friday (July 8), a delegation of over 70 private sector players and government officials from Saudi Arabia will arrive in Jamaica, adding that the group will include investors in various areas such as “logistics, agriculture, tourism and hospitality, infrastructure and real estate.”
Mr. Bartlett explained that this will be the “largest and strongest group of investors to ever come to Jamaica from the Middle East” and he is “excited about the prospects of being able to show them the different investment options” in the corporate area, Montego Bay, and other parts of the island.
He revealed also that Jamaica is working with the delegation to “establish the supplies logistics centre” in Jamaica, which will allow goods and services that are needed to drive tourism across the region to be produced by and exported from Jamaica.
The visit is also expected to provide, among other things, well needed foreign direct investment (FDI) to help boost the Jamaican economy. He emphasised that investment will play a critical role in tourism’s recovery by providing the funds necessary to construct and upgrade projects essential to the development and growth of tourism capacity.ADVERTISEMENTMinister Bartlett outlined that the visit by the investors “follows a series of meetings which I had with the Minister of Tourism for Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, during his visit to Jamaica last June. Also involved in those discussions, was my colleague Minister Aubyn Hill.”
“Our visits to the Middle East in 2021 and earlier this year have allowed us to explore opportunities for FDI in our tourism sector as well as build on discussions initiated last June with Minister Al Khateeb,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Tourism Minister also revealed that he will be leaving the island for the Dominican Republic today (July 5) to attend the “first ever Caribbean Saudi Arabia Summit.” Mr. Bartlett will meet with, among others, “the largest delegation of Saudi Arabian investors to ever visit the Caribbean.”
The summit will facilitate dialogue on investment opportunities in the Caribbean and other areas of collaboration.
The meeting comes amid efforts to finalise the implementation of a multi-destination tourism framework to encourage growth in the sector. Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Panama and Cuba have been key players in the negotiations.
Once finalised this agreement will enable joint marketing arrangements between these countries, while also providing tourists with the option to enjoy multi-destination experiences during their vacations at attractive package prices. Mr. Bartlett said, “it will be a game changer in tourism diplomacy and economic convergences in the Caribbean region.”
The Minister is scheduled to return to Jamaica on Thursday July 7, 2022.

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The UK’s favourite holiday destinations have changed a lot since 2019, the last time most of us flew off on holiday. Two years of travel restrictions, lockdowns, and traffic-light lists have seen people change the holiday habits of a lifetime.
As the first half of the year comes to a close and the summer holidays begin, Holiday Extras, UK market leader in holiday extras such as airport parking, airport hotels, airport lounges and travel insurance, analysed 1.8m trips booked in the six months since the start of the year to see which destinations had seen the biggest increase in popularity – the new hot places to go this summer.
Here’s a round-up of the top twenty fastest risers for the first six months of the year:

Simon Hagger, Deputy CEO at Holiday Extras, commented,ADVERTISEMENT“With all the changes to travel over the last three years it’s inevitable that travel habits have gone through some changes too.
“It’s great to see the world open back up, and people are reuniting with friends and family in Australia, or heading out for long-delayed bucket-list holidays to Egypt and the Caribbean.
“People who flew in 2020 and 2021 found themselves exploring new places because their old favourites were closed, and this year they’re going back again – hence the incredible rise in popularity of Greece and Turkey as destinations, both of which stayed open almost all the way through the travel lockdowns. And of course for many people the cost of living crunch means finding cheaper options, so some of the new top picks – like Turkey and Albania – are amongst the cheapest destinations for a budget summer holiday this year.”

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The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed South Korea’s Travel & Tourism is expected to create nearly half a million jobs over the next decade.
The forecast from WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR), which shows an average of nearly 49,000 new jobs every year, to reach nearly 1.8 million by 2032, also reveals the sector will outpace the overall economy for the next 10 years.
According to the report, South Korea’s Travel & Tourism’s GDP is forecasted to grow at an average rate of 4.8% annually between 2022-2032, significantly outstripping the 1.8% growth rate of the national overall economy.
This will boost the sector’s contribution to nearly ₩116.9 trillion, representing 4.6% of the total economy.
In 2023, the forecast from the global tourism body shows the sector’s contribution to South Korea’s GDP could reach nearly ₩83.4 trillion, only 4.7% behind pre-pandemic levels.ADVERTISEMENTLooking to this year, the global tourism body predicts the sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow 30.6%, to reach nearly ₩73 trillion, amounting to 3.5% of the total economy, although employment levels in the sector are set to remain stagnant, to reach nearly 1.3 million.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “After the devastating impact the pandemic caused to South Korea’s Travel & Tourism sector, the future looks bright for the economy.
“We applaud the government for easing of travel restrictions, a move that will no doubt have a positive effect and recover millions of jobs.
“However, pre-departure testing in no longer required in many countries around the world and we urge the government follow the lead and allow travellers to move freely once again.”
Before the pandemic, South Korea’s Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to GDP was 4.4% (₩87.5 trillion) in 2019, falling to just 2.7% (₩54.2 trillion) in 2020, which represented a shocking 38% loss.
The sector also supported nearly 1.3 million jobs in 2019, falling to just over 1.2 million in 2020, when the pandemic devastated the sector.
However, due to severe and highly disruptive travel restrictions, the global tourism body’s latest EIR report reveals that 2021 saw a sluggish the recovery for the country’s Travel & Tourism sector.
Last year, its contribution to GDP climbed by a mere 3% year on year, to reach nearly ₩55.9 trillion.
The sector also saw a recovery of just under 2,000 Travel & Tourism jobs, representing a positive rise of just 0.2% to more than 1.2 million.
The sector’s contribution to the economy and employment could have been higher if it were not for the impact of the Omicron variant, which led to the recovery faltering around the world, with many countries reinstating severe travel

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The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed the South African Travel & Tourism’s GDP will drive the national economic recovery over the next decade.
The forecast from WTTC’s Economic Impact Report (EIR) shows the South African Travel & Tourism sector is forecasted to grow at an average rate of 7.6% annually over the next decade, significantly outstripping the 1.8% growth rate of the country’s overall economy.
By 2032, the sector’s contribution to GDP could reach more than ZAR 554.6 billion (7.4% of the total economy), injecting nearly ZAR 287 billion into the national economy.
The sector is also expected to create more than 800,000 jobs over the next decade, to reach more than 1.9 million by 2032.
Although the data reveals a bright future for South Africa’s Travel & Tourism sector, the recovery was seriously hampered after the detection and surge of the Omicron variant.  ADVERTISEMENTMany countries around the world placed severe and damaging restrictions on African countries, which caused even further damage to those economies and put thousands more livelihoods at risk.
By the end of this year, Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow 37.2% year on year, to nearly ZAR 268 billion (4.3% of total economy).
Employment in the sector is set to grow by 3.8%% to reach more than 1.1 million jobs.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Although the future looks bright for the South African Travel & Tourism sector, the recovery this year will be slower than expected.
“Knee-jerk travel restrictions imposed over South Africa and other African destinations were impulsive and unjustified. Instead of punishing, these countries should have been praised for discovering the variant early.
“However, with GDP contribution and jobs on the rise, the long-term forecast looks very positive.”
In 2019, the South African Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to GDP as a share of total economy was 6.4% (ZAR 405.2 billion), falling to just 3.1% (ZAR 180 billion) in 2020, which represented a staggering 55.6% loss.
The sector also supported more than 1.5 million jobs across the country, before suffering a 29.9% drop, falling to just over one million.
WTTC’s latest EIR report also reveals that 2021 saw the beginning of the recovery for South Africa’s Travel & Tourism sector.
Last year, its contribution to GDP climbed 8.4% year on year, to reach just over ZAR 195 billion.
The sector also saw a recovery of 20,000 Travel & Tourism jobs, representing a 1.9% rise to reach almost nearly 1.1 million.

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The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed the travel and tourism sector in Saudi Arabia is expected to grow at an average of 11% annually over the next decade, making it the fastest growing travel and tourism in the Middle East.
According to the forecast from WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR), this annual growth, more than six times the 1.8% growth rate of the country’s overall economy, will bolster the economic recovery of the Kingdom.
By 2032, the travel and tourism sector’s contribution to GDP could reach nearly SAR 635 billion, representing 17.1% of the total economy.
The forecast also reveals travel and tourism employment could double over the next 10 years, creating more than 1.4 million jobs, to reach almost three million employed within the sector by 2032.
The projections for both employment and the sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s economy, surpass the ambitious goals set out by the government’s Vision 2030 strategic framework.ADVERTISEMENTBy 2023, following two years of heartache, Saudi Arabia’s Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to the national economy could surpass pre-pandemic levels, when it is projected to rise 2% above 2019 levels, to reach nearly SAR 297 billion.
Employment in the sector could also exceed 2019 levels by 14.1%, creating more than 223,000 additional jobs, representing nearly more than 1.8 million by the end of next year.
By the end of this year, the sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow 15.2% to nearly SAR 223 billion, amounting to 7.2% of the total economic GDP, while employment in the sector is set to grow by 16.1% to reach more than 1.5 million jobs.
According to the global tourism body, the Kingdom, due to host WTTC’s 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh from 28 November to 1 December this year, is witnessing a faster than average recovery following the government’s total commitment to the Travel & Tourism sector, ensuring it remained at the forefront of the global agenda.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “Throughout these difficult times for our sector, the Saudi Arabia government has recognised the importance of travel and tourism and has led the world in its recovery. Through his leadership, Travel & Tourism will become a driving force of the Saudi Arabian economy and will surpass the goals set out in its Vision 2030 blueprint.
“I would like to commend Ahmed Al Khateeb, who has shown strong leadership during this crisis which has boosted the sector’s growth with unprecedented investments and new approaches to tourism.
“I am delighted the Kingdom is hosting our 22nd Global Summit, where we will be able to continue our efforts of showcasing the importance of the travel and tourism sector and look ahead to the future of travel.”
Before the pandemic, Saudi Arabia’s Travel & Tourism total contribution to GDP was 9.7% (SAR 291.6 billion) in 2019, falling to just 6.6% (SAR 190.6 billion) in 2020, representing a staggering 34.6% loss.
The sector also supported nearly 1.6 million jobs, before an almost complete halt to international travel which resulted in a loss of 350,000 (22.2%), to reach just over 1.2 million in 2020.

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The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed the Travel & Tourism sector in Nigeria is expected to create 2.6 million new jobs over the next decade, doubling the number of those employed within the sector by 2032.
The forecast from WTTC’s Economic Impact Report (EIR) shows an average of nearly 260,000 new jobs will be created every year for the next 10 years, to reach more than 5.1 million.
According to the report, Nigeria’s Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP is forecasted to grow at an average rate of 5.4% between 2022-2032, significantly outpacing the 3% growth rate of the overall economy.
This will catapult the sector’s contribution to GDP to nearly ₦12.3 trillion by 2032, representing 4.9% of the total economy.
The global tourism body’s report also provides optimism for the short-term recovery, as the sector’s contribution is set to reach near pre-pandemic levels by next year, just 3.5% behind 2019 levels.ADVERTISEMENTBy the end of this year, the Nigerian Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to grow 10.4%, to reach more than ₦7.2 trillion (3.9% of the total economy), while employment in the sector is set to grow by 4.3% to reach more than 2.5 million jobs.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “The pandemic was catastrophic for Nigeria’s Travel & Tourism sector, wiping billions from the economy and affecting millions of livelihoods.
“Following two years of severe and highly disruptive travel restrictions which decimated the sector, the outlook for the future is much brighter, with our sector expected create more than 2.5 million jobs over the next decade.”
Before the pandemic, Nigeria’s Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to GDP was 4.5% (₦8 trillion) in 2019, falling to just 2.8% (₦4.9 trillion) in 2020, which represented a shocking 39.3% loss.
The sector also supported nearly 3.4 million jobs in 2019, falling to just below 2.2 million in 2020, when the pandemic devastated the sector.
The global tourism body’s latest EIR report also reveals that 2021 saw the beginning of the recovery for Nigeria’s Travel & Tourism sector.
Last year, its contribution to GDP climbed 35.1% year on year, to reach nearly ₦6.6 trillion.
The sector also saw a recovery of 240,000 Travel & Tourism jobs, representing a positive rise of 11.3% to more than 2.4 million.
The sector’s contribution to the economy and employment could have been higher if it weren’t for the impact of the Omicron variant, which led to the recovery faltering around the world, with many countries reinstating severe travel restrictions.

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The newly elected President of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chaves Robles, has chosen William Rodríguez as the country’s new Tourism Minister, replacing Gustavo Alvarado as head of the department. As well as becoming Costa Rica’s new Tourism Minister, Rodríguez will also be head of the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) from now on.
Rodríguez, 71, is well known in both the public and private national tourism sectors, where he has worked for more than 49 years holding a variety of positions. These include being the general manager of the Aurola Holiday Inn in San Jose; country manager of United Airlines in Costa Rica and Guatemala, and being marketing director at ICT (Costa Rica Tourism Board). Together with tourism, the new minister has experience in international relations, business and economics. He holds a degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing.
Rodríguez mentioned that his main priority at the moment is to completely reactivate international tourism and to achieve the same visitor figures as in 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. In this regard, he said: “Destinations around the world are saying that they will be meeting the 2019 visitor arrival figures in 2024 or 2025. However, our aim is that Costa Rica gets full back on track sometime in 2023.” For this reason, air connectivity with the UK and Europe are amongst Rodríguez’s main priorities.
Getting repeat visitors to Costa Rica is also key for the new Tourism Minister, who claimed that Costa Ricans are the best asset to achieve that. “Visitors come to Costa Rica because of the wildlife, nature, adventure and wellness; but we know they return because of the warmth and friendliness of the locals, who are always willing to give visitors a hand.” The average length of a holiday in Costa Rica increased from 12.6 to 13.6 days before the pandemic.

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