By Okorie Uguru

okorieuguru@gmail.com

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the world’s largest private sector association for travel professionals and corporate organisations, has said that travel and tourism will support about 371 million jobs worldwide in 2025. This was contained in the report titled the “Future of the Travel and Tourism Workforce,” which focused on 20 economies. The report was launched at the WTTC 25th Global Summit in Rome this week.  The report was developed with the support of the Ministry of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Coraggio Group, Miles Partnership, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University based on extensive global research.

According to the report, in 2024, the sector supported a record 357 million jobs worldwide. Over the next decade, travel and tourism is projected to generate 91 million new roles, accounting for one in every three net new jobs created globally.

The report also stated that by 2035, global demand for workers in travel and tourism will outpace supply by more than 43 million people, leaving labour availability 16 per cent below required levels.

According to the report, the hospitality industry faces an expected gap of 8.6 million workers, around 18 per cent below the staffing levels needed.

Low-skilled roles, which remain critical to the sector, will remain the most sought after, with a need of more than 20 million additional workers projected. Positions which rely heavily on human interaction, and services that cannot be easily automated, will remain in high demand.

The report highlights that the labour challenge will affect all the 20 major economies analysed for the report, with the largest absolute shortfalls forecast in China (16.9 million), India (11 million), and the European Union (6.4 million).

In relative terms, the Japan travel and tourism sector will see its workforce supply projected to sit at 29 per cent below 2035 levels of demand, followed by Greece (-27 percent) and Germany (-26 percent).

Gloria Guevara, WTTC Interim CEO, said “Travel and tourism is set to remain one of the world’s biggest job creators, offering opportunities for millions of people worldwide. But we must also recognise that wider demographic and structural changes are reshaping labour markets everywhere.

“Many workers left the sector during COVID when travel and 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 and 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. WTTC will work with government officials around the world to ensure policies are implemented to reduce this gap and unlock the potential in their countries.”

The Minister of Tourism, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Al Khateeb, added: “By 2035, one in three new jobs will come from travel and tourism – no other sector can claim that. Saudi Arabia shows what vision and investment can achieve, with over 649,000 training opportunities, and a workforce that is nearly 50 percent women.”

Sara Meaney, Managing Partner at Coraggio Group, commented: “This report offers us all so much more than quotable data points; it serves as an invitation to rethink how we attract, grow, and keep talent in an ever-changing environment.

“It will require investment and intention to design jobs that inspire, support careers that evolve, and invest in workplaces that reflect the values of today’s workforce. This is our chance to redefine what it means to work in travel and tourism.”

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