U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 1998–2018
The travel and tourism industry—as measured by the real output of goods and services sold directly to visitors—increased 4.2 percent in 2018, according to the most recent statistics from the Travel and Tourism Satellite Account (TTSA) published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). This is an acceleration from the 2.3 percent growth in 2017. These new statistics show growth in the travel and tourism industry for the last 9 years. Employment in the travel and tourism industry grew more slowly than real output, growing 1.5 percent in 2018.
Other highlights from the TTSA include:
- Real output increased 4.2 percent in 2018. This growth was driven by increases in domestic passenger air transportation, gasoline, and traveler accommodations.
- Overall growth accelerated from the 2.3 percent growth in 2017. The drivers of the acceleration were increased growth in gasoline, food and beverage services, and domestic passenger air transportation.
- Prices for tourism goods and services increased 2.9 percent in 2018. Driving this increase was an increase in gasoline and domestic and international passenger air transportation services.
These TTSA statistics incorporated newly available source data from BEA Industry Economic Accounts (IEAs) and National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs) and several methodological improvements that were incorporated in the comprehensive update of the IEAs. These statistics also incorporated the most recent annual update to the IEAs that was released October 29th, 2019. The incorporation of the annual update allowed this release of the TTSA to contain the full suite of products for 2018 as well as revised estimates for the full set of accounts from 1998–2017.
The complete set of detailed annual statistics for 1998 through 2018 are available on the BEA website.
The remainder of this article includes a discussion of trends in travel and tourism output and prices, tourism value added, and employment. The final section discusses changes in methodology in this update.
Real output
Real direct output—the value of the tourism industry’s goods and services sold directly to visitors—increased 4.2 percent in 2018. The main contributors to the growth were domestic passenger air transportation services, which increased 6.6 percent in 2018 after increasing 4.4 percent in 2017. Also contributing to the growth was gasoline, which increased 7.7 percent in 2018, and traveler accommodations, which increased 3.4 percent in 2018. Food and beverage services increased 2.4 percent, and passenger water transportation services increased 14.2 percent (table A and chart 1).
| Commodity | Annual growth rates (percent change from preceding period) |
Contributions (percentage points) |
Real output (millions of chained (2012) dollars) |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| All tourism goods and services | 5.5 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 4.2 | 5.46 | 1.81 | 2.35 | 4.22 | 977,236 | 994,951 | 1,018,286 | 1,061,271 |
| Traveler accommodations | 3.3 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 0.65 | 0.28 | 0.47 | 0.70 | 178,852 | 181,261 | 185,405 | 191,786 |
| Food and beverage services | 4.3 | 0.1 | −1.6 | 2.4 | 0.57 | 0.01 | −0.22 | 0.32 | 120,992 | 121,110 | 119,204 | 122,105 |
| Transportation | 8.2 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 3.48 | 1.57 | 1.88 | 2.36 | 447,630 | 464,508 | 485,397 | 511,814 |
| Passenger air transportation | 6.8 | 1.7 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 1.33 | 0.34 | 0.87 | 0.91 | 193,499 | 196,798 | 205,623 | 215,167 |
| Domestic passenger air transportation services | 4.2 | 2.3 | 4.4 | 6.6 | 0.63 | 0.34 | 0.64 | 0.97 | 142,908 | 146,227 | 152,674 | 162,697 |
| International passenger air transportation services | 14.6 | −0.1 | 4.7 | −1.1 | 0.70 | 0.00 | 0.23 | −0.05 | 50,596 | 50,553 | 52,935 | 52,360 |
| All other transportation-related commodities | −6.1 | −0.1 | 10.5 | 13.0 | 2.15 | 1.23 | 1.01 | 1.45 | 214,376 | 214,119 | 236,505 | 267,244 |
| Passenger rail transportation services | −0.3 | 0.4 | 2.1 | −0.1 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,226 | 2,234 | 2,280 | 2,277 |
| Passenger water transportation services | −2.1 | −0.5 | 3.7 | 14.2 | −0.04 | −0.01 | 0.06 | 0.23 | 15,163 | 15,092 | 15,655 | 17,873 |
| Intercity bus services | −1.8 | −3.0 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1,321 | 1,281 | 1,283 | 1,295 |
| Intercity charter bus services | 4.2 | −1.6 | 2.8 | 10.0 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 2,387 | 2,349 | 2,415 | 2,657 |
| Local bus and other transportation services | 4.7 | 13.6 | 10.1 | 3.0 | 0.02 | 0.07 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 4,603 | 5,229 | 5,755 | 5,928 |
| Taxicab services | 2.7 | −4.9 | −1.9 | −8.0 | 0.02 | −0.03 | −0.01 | −0.04 | 5,161 | 4,908 | 4,817 | 4,432 |
| Scenic and sightseeing transportation services | 5.9 | −1.0 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 3,130 | 3,098 | 3,233 | 3,358 |
| Automotive rental and leasing | 10.1 | 12.2 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 0.31 | 0.37 | 0.09 | 0.15 | 30,314 | 34,003 | 35,013 | 36,634 |
| Other vehicle rental and leasing | 4.9 | 1.1 | 4.0 | 10.3 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 620 | 627 | 652 | 719 |
| Automotive repair services | 5.3 | 8.1 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 0.06 | 0.09 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 10,587 | 11,443 | 11,758 | 11,977 |
| Parking | 7.2 | −1.7 | 5.9 | 1.7 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 2,320 | 2,281 | 2,416 | 2,457 |
| Highway tolls | 6.8 | 3.5 | −0.1 | 1.1 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 801 | 829 | 828 | 837 |
| Travel arrangement and reservation services | 5.7 | 4.2 | 11.5 | 4.7 | 0.24 | 0.18 | 0.51 | 0.22 | 40,960 | 42,687 | 47,609 | 49,843 |
| Gasoline | 14.4 | 6.2 | 2.3 | 7.7 | 1.48 | 0.56 | 0.22 | 0.80 | 136,303 | 144,715 | 148,078 | 159,449 |
| Recreation, entertainment, and shopping | 3.2 | −0.2 | 0.9 | 3.6 | 0.76 | −0.05 | 0.21 | 0.85 | 210,918 | 210,510 | 212,339 | 220,063 |
| Recreation and entertainment | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.23 | 0.46 | 89,330 | 91,570 | 93,546 | 97,523 |
| Motion pictures and performing arts | 3.4 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 4.4 | 0.06 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.09 | 17,642 | 17,742 | 17,857 | 18,638 |
| Spectator sports | 1.8 | 7.8 | −0.2 | 8.8 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 3,967 | 4,275 | 4,267 | 4,643 |
| Participant sports | 0.3 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 3.8 | 0.00 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.06 | 12,504 | 13,258 | 13,974 | 14,507 |
| Gambling | 2.7 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.14 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.10 | 48,423 | 49,318 | 50,335 | 51,283 |
| All other recreation and entertainment | 1.7 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 11.4 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.17 | 13,682 | 14,023 | 14,332 | 15,966 |
| Shopping | 3.8 | −2.3 | −0.2 | 3.1 | 0.52 | −0.31 | −0.03 | 0.39 | 134,366 | 131,279 | 131,010 | 135,087 |
The growth of real direct output accelerated in 2018 from a 2.3 percent increase in 2017. The acceleration was led by gasoline, which accelerated from 2.3 percent growth in 2017 to 7.7 percent growth in 2018. Also contributing to the acceleration of real direct output was domestic air passenger transportation services, which accelerated from 4.4 percent growth to 6.6 percent growth. Traveler accommodations and food and beverage services were also significant contributors.
[Click chart to expand]
Prices
Tourism goods and services prices increased 2.9 percent in 2018. The growth was led by strong price growth in gasoline and domestic and international passenger air transportation services. Gasoline prices accelerated from a 13.1 percent increase in 2017 to a 13.5 percent increase in 2018. Domestic passenger air transportation services accelerated from 0.7 percent growth in 2017 to 1.8 percent growth in 2018, and international passenger air transportation services prices turned up from a 0.3 percent decrease in 2017 to a 4.8 percent increase in 2018 (table B and chart 2).
| Commodity | Annual growth rates (percent change from preceding period) |
Contributions (percentage points) |
Price Indexes (index number, 2012=100) |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| All tourism goods and services | −3.6 | −0.9 | 2.2 | 2.9 | −3.65 | −0.93 | 2.25 | 2.95 | 98.4 | 97.5 | 99.7 | 102.6 |
| Traveler accommodations | 3.1 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.60 | 0.50 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 108.5 | 111.2 | 111.9 | 112.5 |
| Food and beverage services | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 0.35 | 0.34 | 0.32 | 0.33 | 107.5 | 110.2 | 112.7 | 115.6 |
| Transportation | −9.5 | −4.2 | 3.2 | 4.7 | −4.23 | −1.80 | 1.36 | 2.03 | 90.9 | 87.1 | 89.9 | 94.1 |
| Passenger air transportation | −3.7 | −2.8 | 0.5 | 2.5 | −0.73 | −0.56 | 0.09 | 0.50 | 99.5 | 96.7 | 97.1 | 99.6 |
| Domestic passenger air transportation services | −2.9 | −2.3 | 0.7 | 1.8 | −0.43 | −0.34 | 0.11 | 0.27 | 99.9 | 97.6 | 98.3 | 100.1 |
| International passenger air transportation services | −6.0 | −4.2 | −0.3 | 4.8 | −0.30 | −0.22 | −0.02 | 0.23 | 98.3 | 94.1 | 93.8 | 98.4 |
| All other transportation-related commodities | −14.2 | −5.5 | 5.7 | 6.5 | −3.50 | −1.24 | 1.27 | 1.53 | 84.2 | 79.6 | 84.2 | 89.6 |
| Passenger rail transportation services | −1.0 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 98.1 | 100.2 | 103.6 | 103.8 |
| Passenger water transportation services | −0.1 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.00 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 100.4 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 105.3 |
| Intercity bus services | −0.1 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.4 | 104.1 | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Intercity charter bus services | −0.1 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.5 | 104.1 | 105.0 | 105.3 |
| Local bus and other transportation services | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 107.9 | 109.7 | 111.6 | 113.5 |
| Taxicab services | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 107.8 | 109.7 | 111.6 | 113.5 |
| Scenic and sightseeing transportation services | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 105.3 | 107.8 | 110.6 | 113.2 |
| Automotive rental and leasing | −7.9 | −7.5 | 0.4 | 2.2 | −0.25 | −0.24 | 0.01 | 0.07 | 99.0 | 91.6 | 91.9 | 94.0 |
| Other vehicle rental and leasing | 0.0 | 2.5 | −2.2 | −1.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 103.2 | 105.8 | 103.5 | 102.4 |
| Automotive repair services | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 104.8 | 106.5 | 108.5 | 110.5 |
| Parking | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 108.8 | 111.8 | 114.6 | 117.2 |
| Highway tolls | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 108.8 | 111.8 | 114.6 | 117.2 |
| Travel arrangement and reservation services | 0.6 | −0.1 | −0.2 | 0.5 | 0.03 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 0.02 | 101.6 | 101.5 | 101.3 | 101.9 |
| Gasoline | −27.1 | −11.4 | 13.1 | 13.5 | −3.32 | −1.12 | 1.18 | 1.37 | 68.0 | 60.2 | 68.1 | 77.3 |
| Recreation, entertainment, and shopping | −1.5 | 0.1 | 1.9 | 2.0 | −0.37 | 0.03 | 0.45 | 0.47 | 100.0 | 100.1 | 102.1 | 104.1 |
| Recreation and entertainment | 1.1 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.11 | 0.20 | 0.24 | 0.23 | 104.0 | 105.9 | 108.3 | 110.6 |
| Motion pictures and performing arts | 2.2 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 0.04 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 105.3 | 109.1 | 111.8 | 114.2 |
| Spectator sports | 7.1 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 113.2 | 117.0 | 119.6 | 121.8 |
| Participant sports | 0.6 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 103.7 | 105.4 | 107.8 | 110.9 |
| Gambling | 0.1 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 0.01 | 0.07 | 0.11 | 0.13 | 103.2 | 104.5 | 106.8 | 109.4 |
| All other recreation and entertainment | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 102.5 | 104.2 | 106.6 | 107.2 |
| Shopping | −3.5 | −1.3 | 1.6 | 1.9 | −0.48 | −0.17 | 0.21 | 0.24 | 97.1 | 95.9 | 97.4 | 99.3 |
Prices for the travel and tourism industry accelerated in 2018 from a 2.2 percent increase in 2017 to a 2.9 percent increase in 2018. Domestic and international air passenger transportation services and gasoline were both contributors to the acceleration in 2018.
Total output
Total tourism-related nominal output increased to $1.87 trillion in 2018, a 7.1 percent increase from $1.75 trillion in 2017. In 2018, total output consisted of $1.09 trillion in direct tourism output and $781.5 billion in indirect tourism output. The 1.72 ratio of total output to direct output in 2018 means every dollar of direct tourism output produced required an additional 72 cents of indirect tourism output (chart 3).
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[Click chart to expand]
Value added and employment are presented by industry in the TTSA and facilitate analysis of the travel and tourism estimates in an industry dimension.
Value added
A sector’s value added measures its contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). In 2018, travel and tourism’s share of GDP was 2.9 percent. The share of GDP peaked in 2000 at 3.1 percent. In 2004, the share started a decline until 2010 at 2.5 percent. From 2010 to 2015, the share rose every year to 2.8 percent, and the share reached 2.9 percent in 2018 (table C). Travel and tourism’s share of GDP remains larger than many significant industries, such as agriculture, mining, or utilities.
| Year | Billions of dollars | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross domestic product (GDP) | Tourism value added | Tourism value added as a share of GDP | |
| 2008 | 14,713 | 399 | 2.66 |
| 2009 | 14,449 | 372 | 2.54 |
| 2010 | 14,992 | 392 | 2.52 |
| 2011 | 15,543 | 419 | 2.60 |
| 2012 | 16,197 | 435 | 2.69 |
| 2013 | 16,785 | 466 | 2.78 |
| 2014 | 17,527 | 489 | 2.79 |
| 2015 | 18,225 | 525 | 2.88 |
| 2016 | 18,715 | 539 | 2.88 |
| 2017 | 19,519 | 563 | 2.88 |
| 2018 | 20,580 | 597 | 2.90 |
Direct employment
Direct tourism employment includes jobs that involve producing goods and services that are sold directly to visitors. Airline pilots, hotel clerks, and travel agents are examples of such positions. Overall, direct employment increased 1.5 percent in 2018, or by 90,000 jobs. This was driven by growth in employment for traveler accommodations, food services and drinking places, and participant sports. Traveler accommodations added 25,000 jobs, food services and drinking places added 13,000 jobs, and participant sports added 14,000 jobs (chart 4 and table D).
[Click chart to expand]
| Commodity | Annual growth rates (percent change from preceding period) |
Contributions (percentage points) |
Direct employment (thousands) |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| All tourism industries | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.09 | 1.77 | 0.79 | 1.54 | 5688 | 5789 | 5835 | 5925 |
| Traveler accommodations | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 0.53 | 0.37 | 0.55 | 0.43 | 1460 | 1481 | 1513 | 1538 |
| Vacation Home Rentals | −5.0 | −3.9 | −1.8 | −2.3 | −0.01 | −0.01 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Food services and drinking places | 1.3 | 1.3 | −1.9 | 0.8 | 0.39 | 0.37 | −0.54 | 0.22 | 1662 | 1684 | 1652 | 1665 |
| Transportation | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.03 | 0.72 | 0.80 | 0.47 | 1271 | 1312 | 1358 | 1385 |
| Air transportation services | 4.2 | 1.8 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 0.38 | 0.17 | 0.51 | 0.21 | 530 | 540 | 569 | 582 |
| All other transportation-related industries | 5.1 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.65 | 0.54 | 0.28 | 0.25 | 741 | 772 | 789 | 803 |
| Rail transportation services | 6.7 | −3.1 | −2.7 | −4.3 | 0.01 | −0.01 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Water transportation services | −2.7 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 6.6 | −0.02 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 37 | 39 | 39 | 42 |
| Interurban bus transportation | 1.7 | −0.9 | 2.0 | −2.6 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 | −0.01 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
| Interurban charter bus transportation | −2.5 | 1.6 | −0.3 | −1.9 | −0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| Urban transit systems and other transportation | 12.6 | 6.9 | 6.5 | −1.5 | 0.11 | 0.07 | 0.07 | −0.02 | 55 | 59 | 63 | 62 |
| Taxi service | −7.8 | −8.3 | −13.2 | −6.6 | −0.01 | −0.01 | −0.02 | −0.01 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 |
| Scenic and sightseeing transportation services | 2.7 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
| Automotive equipment rental and leasing | 3.8 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.06 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.04 | 98 | 100 | 102 | 104 |
| Automotive repair services | 4.6 | 4.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 73 | 76 | 76 | 76 |
| Parking lots and garages | 8.3 | −0.7 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 38 |
| Toll highways | 2.4 | 8.5 | 6.5 | 3.2 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Travel arrangement and reservation services | 3.3 | 6.5 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.11 | 0.21 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 184 | 196 | 198 | 199 |
| Petroleum refineries | 9.2 | 4.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Gasoline service stations | 9.5 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 6.0 | 0.25 | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.18 | 163 | 171 | 178 | 189 |
| Recreation, entertainment, and shopping | 0.2 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.03 | 0.33 | 0.05 | 0.35 | 1038 | 1057 | 1060 | 1081 |
| Recreation and entertainment | −2.4 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 4.2 | −0.22 | 0.44 | 0.28 | 0.40 | 511 | 536 | 552 | 575 |
| Motion pictures and performing arts | −0.1 | 3.5 | −3.0 | 4.2 | 0.00 | 0.03 | −0.03 | 0.04 | 56 | 58 | 56 | 59 |
| Spectator sports | 1.2 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 8.1 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 40 | 42 | 42 | 46 |
| Participant sports | −1.1 | 8.5 | 4.5 | 5.7 | −0.04 | 0.33 | 0.19 | 0.24 | 220 | 238 | 249 | 263 |
| Gambling | −6.8 | 0.2 | 5.2 | −0.2 | −0.17 | 0.00 | 0.12 | 0.00 | 130 | 131 | 137 | 137 |
| All other recreation and entertainment | −1.0 | 3.6 | −0.2 | 5.1 | −0.01 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 0.06 | 65 | 67 | 67 | 71 |
| Shopping | 2.8 | −1.2 | −2.6 | −0.5 | 0.25 | −0.11 | −0.23 | −0.04 | 528 | 521 | 508 | 505 |
| Industries producing nondurable PCE commodities, excluding petroleum refineries | 3.2 | −1.4 | −2.2 | −0.7 | 0.08 | −0.03 | −0.05 | −0.02 | 136 | 135 | 132 | 131 |
| Retail trade services, excluding gasoline service stations | 2.6 | −1.1 | −2.7 | −0.4 | 0.18 | −0.08 | −0.18 | −0.03 | 391 | 387 | 376 | 375 |
| All other industries | 2.8 | −0.1 | −1.5 | 1.7 | 0.12 | −0.01 | −0.06 | 0.07 | 242 | 242 | 239 | 242 |
| All other industries, excluding Wholesale trade and transportation services | −0.3 | −0.6 | −2.1 | 2.1 | 0.00 | −0.01 | −0.03 | 0.03 | 81 | 80 | 79 | 80 |
| Wholesale trade and transportation services | 4.4 | 0.1 | −1.2 | 1.5 | 0.12 | 0.00 | −0.03 | 0.04 | 162 | 162 | 160 | 162 |
- PCE
- Personal consumption expenditures
Total employment
Total tourism-related employment (the sum of direct and indirect jobs) increased from 9.0 million jobs in 2017 to 9.2 million jobs in 2018. The 9.2 million jobs were comprised of 5.9 million direct tourism jobs and 3.3 million indirect tourism jobs (chart 5). Indirect tourism jobs consist of jobs related to the production of goods and services that supply the tourism industry, such as refinery workers producing jet fuel. The updated statistics indicate that for every 100 jobs supported directly from travel and tourism, an additional 55 jobs are needed to support the industry.
[Click chart to expand]
These revised and newly available travel and tourism statistics primarily reflect the incorporation of the 2018 comprehensive update of the IEAs, released on November 1st, 2018.1 This comprehensive update incorporated updated definitions and classifications as well as statistical changes, including improved methodologies and newly available and revised source data. Combined with new and revised travel- and tourism-specific source data, these improvements allow the travel and tourism accounts to more accurately capture the dynamics of this sector. Comprehensive updates, which occur every 5 years, go beyond annual updates by introducing improvements to the entire IEA time series. Major changes introduced with this latest update include the following:
- Full integration of the 2012 benchmark Input-Output Accounts and the annual IEAs.
- Updated industry and commodity definitions consistent with the 2012 North American Industry Classification System.
- Updated wage and salary employment multipliers from the BEA Regional Input-Output Modeling System II program, which are used to measure total employment.
- For more information, see Thomas F. Howells III, Edward T. Morgan, and Casey Ross, “Improved Estimates of the Industry Economic Accounts,” Survey of Current Business 98 (December 2018).
