Power, Efficiency & Opportunity (PEO) Indices
At a glance
- The top 20 performers account for 81% of global Travel & Tourism GDP in 2024, according to the report.
- The United States, China and India rank as the world's most powerful Travel & Tourism economies.
- Global Environmental Efficiency score rose 2.3 points between 2019 and 2024, per the report.
- Low-carbon energy component improved by 6.7 points and greenhouse gas intensity by 3.9 points over the same period.
- Oman's 2024 scores improved on all three indices against 2019, with women holding 28% of its tourism jobs.
What the report covers
The report introduces a framework by WTTC and Oxford Economics to assess Travel & Tourism performance across 184 economies. It looks beyond visitor numbers and economic contribution to examine economic power, resource efficiency and environmental footprint, and employment opportunity. WTTC presents the indices as a benchmarking tool for governments, investors and industry leaders. The launch was announced in Madrid and presented at WTM London with OMRAN Group.
Key findings
The Travel & Tourism Power Index measures economic scale through GDP, employment and investment. According to the report, tourism power remains concentrated, with the top 20 performers accounting for 81% of global Travel & Tourism GDP in 2024. The United States, China and India rank highest, followed by Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico, Spain and Saudi Arabia.
The report finds that economic scale does not determine wider performance. Countries leading on economic power do not necessarily lead on environmental efficiency or employment opportunity. The authors argue the three dimensions should be assessed together when judging long-term competitiveness and resilience, and note that some destinations outperform on investment or employment relative to their economic contribution.
The Environmental Efficiency Index covers greenhouse gas emissions, low-carbon energy, water, air pollution and materials use relative to economic activity. The report identifies a marked improvement between 2019 and 2024, with the global score rising 2.3 points. Low-carbon energy improved by 6.7 points and greenhouse gas intensity by 3.9 points, which the authors link to long-term policy and clean energy investment.
On environmental efficiency, Sweden ranks first among high-income economies and Costa Rica leads among upper-middle-income destinations. The report states that environmental leadership can emerge at different stages of development.
The Opportunity Index examines employment share, growth, youth and female employment. The report describes Travel & Tourism as one of the most open entry points into employment. Croatia ranks first among high-income economies, the Maldives leads upper-middle-income, El Salvador tops lower-middle-income and The Gambia tops low-income. The Maldives, Grenada and Belize are cited for a particularly significant share of national employment.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Share of global Travel & Tourism GDP held by top 20 performers | 81% |
| Change in global Environmental Efficiency score | +2.3 points |
| Change in low-carbon energy component | +6.7 points |
| Change in greenhouse gas intensity component | +3.9 points |
| Share of Travel & Tourism jobs held by women in Oman | 28% |
| Share of Travel & Tourism jobs held by young people in Oman | 13% |
| Number of economies assessed | 184 |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
The indices let destinations benchmark performance beyond visitor numbers and GDP across economic power, environmental efficiency and employment opportunity. The report argues these should be read together. Destinations can use the framework to identify strengths and gaps and to prioritise policy and infrastructure investment where it may have the greatest impact.
Hotels & hospitality
The report shows environmental efficiency improving between 2019 and 2024, driven by low-carbon energy and greenhouse gas intensity. For operators, this signals how destination-level sustainability is being measured and compared. Female and youth employment indicators may also inform workforce strategy and local partnerships.
Travel tech & distribution
The indices come with an interactive dashboard for exploring indicators and benchmarking destinations across 184 economies. For travel technology and data providers, this offers a structured public reference set. Platforms may consider integrating these multi-dimensional metrics into destination analytics and decision-support tools.
Methodology and limits
The indices were developed by WTTC and Oxford Economics. The Power Index uses GDP, employment and investment; the Environmental Efficiency Index uses emissions, energy, water, air pollution and materials indicators relative to economic activity; the Opportunity Index uses employment share, growth, and youth and female employment. Environmental and employment results are presented by World Bank income group. The source does not detail sample design, data vintages or model specifics. This brief is based on the publicly available press release and notes only.
Official source
The report is © WTTC. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
Check the official statistics on Pulse
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