The U.S. is the world's biggest travel and tourism market, contributing a record-breaking $2.36 trillion to the U.S.'s GDP in 2023, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
Even though U.S. inbound travel hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels, the contribution of travel and tourism to the U.S.'s GDP was 82% higher than its nearest rival, China, according to WTTC's 2024 Economic Impact Trends Report.
China, one of the last countries to reopen its borders after the pandemic shutdown, recorded a travel and tourism contribution of $1.3 trillion in 2023, a 136% surge from the year before.
Germany took third with a $487.6 billion economic contribution, while Japan jumped from fifth place to fourth with a $297 billion impact. The U.K. rounded out the top five with a $295.2 billion contribution.
France, the world's most popular destination country, retained its sixth place position, followed by Mexico, India, Italy and Spain to round out the top 10.
The WTTC expects that China will overtake the U.S. sometime during the next decade.
Globally, visitor spending is expected to grow nearly 16% to $1.9 trillion this year, while domestic tourists are projected to spend more than ever before, reaching $5.4 trillion, an increase of 10.3% over 2019.