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Tourism's global business increases by 3.6%.

2 min reading time

Published on 09/05/16 - Updated on 17/03/22

Plus de 1 100 milliards € dépensés dans le monde

According to calculations by the World Tourism Organization, revenues generated by spending of international visitors reached an estimated €1,110 billion in 2015, which represents a 3.6% increase including fluctuating exchange rates and inflation.

According to the WTO, revenues from international tourism at destinations worldwide have increased by 3.6% in 2015, in proportions comparable to growth in international arrivals (4.4%). For the fourth consecutive year growth in international tourism was higher than that for world trade in goods, causing tourism to reach a 7% share in global exports in 2015.

Revenues generated by spending by international visitors on accommodations, meals and beverages, leisure, shopping and other spending on goods and services amounted to an estimated 1,232 billion US$. In addition to revenues from international tourism ("travel" in the balance of payments), international tourism generated 210 billion US$ in export revenues for international transport services for non-resident travelers, bringing the total value of tourism exportation to 1,400 billion dollar US$ (€1,100 billion), or 4 billion US$ per day on average.

The United States of America (178 billion US$), China (114 billion US$), Spain (57 billion US$) and France (46 billion US$) continue to lead the ranking in terms of both international tourism and tourist arrivals.

Last year, the tourism supply engines were China, the United States and the United Kingdom, thanks to the strength of their respective currencies and their economies. 

China remains the leading tourism supply market worldwide, with double-digit growth in tourism spending each year since 2004, benefiting Asian destinations such as Japan and Thailand, as well as the United States and different European destinations. Spending by Chinese travelers increased by 25% in 2015 to reach 292 billion US$.

Tourism spending by the second largest supply market worldwide, the United States, increased by 9% in 2015 to reach 120 billion US$. Spending by the fourth largest market worldwide, the United Kingdom, increased by 8% to some 63 billion US$. Inversely, Germany, number 3 on a global scale, posted a slight drop in spending (76 billion US$) which may be explained in part by the depreciation of the euro.

There have been two changes in the ranking by tourism spending in 2015. France's supply market spent 38 billion US$, Russia's spent 35 billion US$, while the Republic of Korea spent 25 billion US$.

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