WEF urges tourism to move beyond visitor numbers for sustainable growth

The global travel and tourism industry is entering a new era of growth, but destinations must move beyond measuring success only by visitor numbers and spending, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has warned.

In an article published on June 30, the WEF said the sector’s future appears strong by traditional economic measures, with travel and tourism projected to contribute US$16 trillion to global GDP by 2034 and support around 30 billion tourist visits annually.

However, the same growth is also creating new pressures for destinations. Many places are facing rising tensions between residents and tourists, growing strain on ecosystems, labour shortages, infrastructure constraints and greater vulnerability to climate, geopolitical and economic shocks.

The WEF said these challenges do not diminish the importance of tourism, but require a broader definition of success. Instead of focusing only on how to attract more visitors, the industry must ensure that growth creates lasting value for local communities, destinations and the natural systems on which tourism depends.

According to the WEF, businesses and destinations are already testing solutions to spread visitor demand more evenly, support local enterprises, strengthen community development and invest in nature-positive initiatives. These include efforts to reduce waste, lower emissions, improve resource efficiency and protect natural and cultural assets.

Technology is also playing a larger role in tourism management. Data and digital tools can help destinations better understand visitor flows, manage demand, plan infrastructure and improve sustainability, while also allowing businesses to enhance operations and visitor experiences.

The WEF stressed that no single organisation can solve tourism’s biggest challenges alone. Effective responses increasingly depend on collaboration among governments, businesses, communities, civil society and other stakeholders whose interests are closely linked.

One major obstacle is fragmentation. Unlike some industries where best practices can spread quickly through common standards, travel and tourism remains highly localised. As a result, successful ideas often stay within one destination or market, even when they could be adapted elsewhere.

To address this gap, the WEF, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism and Kearney have launched the Beyond Tourism Impact Stars initiative. The initiative aims to identify private-sector projects that are already delivering measurable positive impacts for destinations, communities and ecosystems, while also showing strong business performance.

The WEF said sharing such examples could help the wider industry learn faster and scale practical solutions. The goal is not to copy models exactly, but to understand what works, why it works and how similar approaches could be adapted to different local contexts.

As tourism continues to expand, the WEF said the sector’s long-term progress will depend on generating new ideas and identifying, validating and scaling solutions that deliver measurable results.

For tourism-led economies, the message is clear: future competitiveness will not depend only on attracting more travellers, but on building tourism systems that are resilient, inclusive and sustainable for both people and nature.

Source: World Economic Forum