As global Travel & Tourism enters its peak summer season, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has issued a critical call to action with the release of its latest report, Managing Destination Overcrowding: A Call to Action. The report stresses that while overcrowding is often blamed on rising visitor numbers, the root causes lie in deeper systemic issues such as underinvestment in infrastructure, poor urban planning, and fragmented decision-making—issues that affect both local communities and travelers alike.
With Travel & Tourism contributing nearly $11 trillion to the global economy in 2024 and supporting 357 million jobs worldwide, the sector is poised to generate one in three new jobs over the next decade. However, the WTTC emphasizes that without strategic and inclusive management, this growth could place unsustainable pressure on popular destinations and risk damaging the very ecosystems and communities that make them attractive.
The report outlines six actionable steps to help destinations manage tourism growth more effectively: 1) bringing stakeholders together, 2) defining a unified destination strategy, 3) gathering and using data to inform decisions, 4) constant monitoring, 5) reinvesting tourism revenues transparently into local infrastructure, and 6) empowering residents through participation and communication. These steps aim to create a sustainable and community-inclusive tourism model that benefits everyone involved.
In 2024 alone, governments are expected to collect over $3.3 trillion in tax revenues from the tourism sector, equivalent to 9.6% of global tax income. The WTTC strongly recommends that a portion of these revenues be reinvested into public services, environmental preservation, and infrastructure upgrades to relieve pressure on tourism hotspots.
Citing real-world success stories, the report highlights Barcelona’s public-private tourism model, VisitFlanders’ community-first Travel to Tomorrow strategy, Dubrovnik’s cruise coordination efforts with CLIA, and Iceland’s direct reinvestment of tourism levies into environmental protection as examples of progressive destination management.
WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson states, “Travel & Tourism brings huge benefits including jobs, investment, and deeper cultural understanding. But growth needs to be managed carefully. This isn’t about stopping tourism, it’s about making it work for everyone.”
The report warns that reactive measures like capping visitor numbers may have adverse effects. For instance, limiting tourism in 11 major European cities could result in a $245 billion GDP loss and nearly 3 million lost jobs over three years. Therefore, the WTTC calls for long-term vision and localised solutions, instead of quick fixes, to ensure tourism remains a valuable and sustainable economic driver.
With its latest findings, the WTTC highlights that this is a defining moment for global tourism governance. By adopting smarter, more inclusive, and data-driven approaches, the industry can continue to thrive while preserving the integrity, culture, and wellbeing of host communities around the world.
