The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) issued a report showing that the travel and tourism sector will create about 91 million new jobs by 2035, noting that the sector is on the right track to support one in three new jobs around the world.
The “Future of the Travel and Tourism Workforce” report, published at the 25th World Tourism Council Summit in Rome, focused on 20 economies, through extensive global research, including a wide-ranging survey of business leaders and in-depth interviews with WTTC members and key stakeholders.
The report not only highlights how the sector is rebounding as a global driver of job creation, but also how structural shifts, including a shrinking working-age population relative to economic growth, are impacting the travel and tourism sector, which is expected to grow much faster than the traditional economy.
In a related context, the World Tourism Council expects that the sector in the State of Qatar will grow significantly, reaching its annual contribution to the gross domestic product to more than 135 billion riyals by 2034, or approximately 13% of the Qatari economy. It also expects that approximately 458,000 people will be employed in the sector throughout the country.
Unparalleled opportunities
In 2024, the sector created a record 357 million jobs worldwide, and is expected to support 371 million jobs this year. Over the next decade, the travel and tourism sector is expected to create 91 million new jobs, representing one in every three new jobs created globally.
By 2035, global demand for the travel and tourism workforce will exceed supply by more than 43 million people due to demographic and structural changes, leaving labor availability 16% below desired levels.
According to the report, the hospitality sector faces a projected gap of 8.6 million workers, about 18% below necessary employment levels.
Low-skilled jobs, which remain critical to the sector, will remain the most in demand, with more than 20 million additional workers expected to be needed. Jobs that rely heavily on human interaction and services that are difficult to automate will remain in high demand.
A growing role for tourism in Qatar
The State of Qatar is moving steadily towards achieving the goal of the 2030 Tourism Strategy, which is for the tourism sector to contribute 12% of the gross domestic product, which highlights the growing role of tourism in supporting national economic diversification efforts.
The tourism sector contributed about 55 billion riyals to Qatar’s gross domestic product during 2024, equivalent to 8% of the country’s total economic output, which represents an increase of 14% compared to 2023.
The State of Qatar’s tourism strategy is consistent with these trends, as it focuses on six high-potential areas of demand, and is working to implement 54 strategic projects in the areas of product development, organization, and enhancing the visitor experience.
Tourism’s contribution to the global economy
The tourism sector contributes to the global economy by about 10% of the gross domestic product, making it a major driver of economic growth and providing direct and indirect job opportunities, as about one in ten people around the world depend on it to earn a living, and it constitutes a catalyst for investments and sustainable development. The sector provides many opportunities for work and income, especially in emerging and small economies.
The tourism sector contributes to generating significant job opportunities, whether directly in hotels, restaurants, and transportation, or indirectly in related industries, which enhances employment levels in various economic sectors. Tourism also stimulates various economic activities, such as transportation, accommodation, and entertainment, which leads to attracting investments and enhancing commercial activities in tourist destinations. Tourism also contributes to preserving biodiversity and promoting the principles of ecotourism. It also supports policies to diversify national economies and reduce dependence on natural resources.
Tourism in the Gulf
The Statistical Center for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf revealed that the added value of the travel and tourism sector in the gross domestic product of the Gulf states has risen to $247.1 billion by the end of 2024.
The center explained in a statistical report that the rate of increase reached 31.9% compared to 2019, and it expected that the sector’s contribution to the Gulf’s gross product in 2034 would reach 13.3%, with a value of $371.2 billion.
The added value of the sector in the field of employment amounted to about $4.3 billion last year, with a growth of 24.9% compared to 2019, amid expectations that the travel and tourism sector will provide about 1.3 million new jobs in the Gulf in 2034.