U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 2015–2019
The travel and tourism industry—as measured by the real output of goods and services sold directly to visitors—decelerated to 1.5 percent growth in 2019 after increasing 4.1 percent in 2018, according to the most recent statistics from the Travel and Tourism Satellite Account (TTSA) of the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).1 By comparison, the broader economy, as measured by real gross domestic product (GDP), increased 2.2 percent in 2019 after increasing 3.0 percent in 2018. Revised statistics on travel and tourism reflect the incorporation of the annual update of the Industry Economic Accounts, which was released on September 30, 2020.2
Highlights from the TTSA include the following:
- Real output increased in 19 of 24 commodities in 2019. The largest contributors to the increase included international passenger air transportation services, domestic passenger air transportation services, and automotive rental and leasing.
- Real output growth slowed to 1.5 percent in 2019 from 4.1 percent in 2018, reflecting downturns in purchases of gasoline and food and beverage services, as well as decelerations in domestic passenger air transportation services and traveler accommodations.
- Prices for tourism goods and services increased 1.4 percent in 2019. The largest contributor to the increase in 2019 was the price of traveler accommodations, which increased 3.0 percent and contributed 0.59 percentage point to tourism goods and services price growth.
- Price growth slowed to 1.4 percent in 2019 from 3.0 percent in 2018, primarily reflecting a downturn in the price of gasoline.
The remainder of this article includes a discussion of trends in travel and tourism output and prices, tourism value added, and employment.
Real output
The leading contributors to the 1.5 percent growth in real travel and tourism output were international passenger air transportation services, which increased 10.6 percent and contributed 0.50 percentage point to real output growth; domestic passenger air transportation services, which increased 3.1 percent and contributed 0.46 percentage point; and shopping, which increased 3.2 percent and contributed 0.39 percentage point (table A and chart 1).
| Commodity | Annual growth rates (percent change from preceding period) | Contributions (percentage points) |
Real Output (millions of chained (2012) dollars) |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| All tourism goods and services | 2.0 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 2.05 | 2.72 | 4.14 | 1.54 | 998,520 | 1,025,672 | 1,068,113 | 1,084,604 |
| Traveler accommodations | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 0.5 | 0.39 | 0.43 | 0.52 | 0.09 | 182,268 | 186,061 | 190,859 | 191,755 |
| Food and beverage services | 0.7 | −0.1 | 4.1 | −0.9 | 0.10 | −0.01 | 0.57 | −0.13 | 125,100 | 124,969 | 130,135 | 128,916 |
| Transportation | 4.1 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 3.1 | 1.69 | 2.05 | 2.55 | 1.36 | 464,402 | 487,182 | 515,924 | 531,844 |
| Passenger air transportation | 1.7 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 0.34 | 0.85 | 0.83 | 0.96 | 196,379 | 205,027 | 213,705 | 224,146 |
| Domestic passenger air transportation services | 2.3 | 4.1 | 6.1 | 3.1 | 0.34 | 0.60 | 0.88 | 0.46 | 145,403 | 151,396 | 160,595 | 165,552 |
| International passenger air transportation services | 0.0 | 5.2 | −1.2 | 10.6 | 0.00 | 0.26 | −0.06 | 0.50 | 50,968 | 53,643 | 53,013 | 58,606 |
| All other transportation-related commodities | 0.7 | 11.2 | 14.1 | 1.6 | 1.35 | 1.20 | 1.73 | 0.40 | 214,894 | 239,052 | 272,681 | 277,174 |
| Passenger rail transportation services | 0.3 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 6.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 2,216 | 2,262 | 2,267 | 2,403 |
| Passenger water transportation services | −0.3 | 6.2 | 10.2 | 7.7 | −0.01 | 0.10 | 0.16 | 0.13 | 14,878 | 15,799 | 17,416 | 18,758 |
| Intercity bus services | −3.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | −2.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1,281 | 1,282 | 1,288 | 1,256 |
| Intercity charter bus services | −1.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 2,346 | 2,430 | 2,522 | 2,546 |
| Local bus and other transportation services | 13.4 | 24.6 | 3.6 | 8.9 | 0.07 | 0.14 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 5,236 | 6,522 | 6,759 | 7,361 |
| Taxicab services | −5.3 | 10.1 | 7.9 | 14.5 | −0.03 | 0.06 | 0.05 | 0.09 | 4,902 | 5,398 | 5,822 | 6,669 |
| Scenic and sightseeing transportation services | −3.1 | −3.3 | 1.3 | 4.0 | −0.01 | −0.01 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 3,078 | 2,977 | 3,015 | 3,136 |
| Automotive rental and leasing | 10.8 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 0.32 | 0.15 | 0.21 | 0.23 | 33,456 | 35,036 | 37,387 | 40,042 |
| Other vehicle rental and leasing | 1.3 | 5.7 | 11.3 | 7.2 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 627 | 663 | 738 | 791 |
| Automotive repair services | 7.7 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 0.1 | 0.09 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.00 | 11,363 | 11,586 | 11,967 | 11,973 |
| Parking | −2.8 | 2.0 | 5.9 | 3.2 | −0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 2,260 | 2,305 | 2,441 | 2,518 |
| Highway tolls | 4.2 | 2.2 | 3.2 | −0.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 835 | 853 | 880 | 876 |
| Travel arrangement and reservation services | 5.5 | 11.1 | 8.8 | 3.2 | 0.24 | 0.50 | 0.42 | 0.15 | 43,189 | 48,001 | 52,246 | 53,905 |
| Gasoline | 7.5 | 2.3 | 7.5 | −2.6 | 0.68 | 0.22 | 0.78 | −0.29 | 145,884 | 149,225 | 160,425 | 156,201 |
| Recreation, entertainment, and shopping | −0.5 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.0 | −0.13 | 0.25 | 0.50 | 0.22 | 208,987 | 211,258 | 215,872 | 217,982 |
| Recreation and entertainment | 2.2 | 2.4 | 0.8 | −1.7 | 0.23 | 0.25 | 0.08 | −0.17 | 91,070 | 93,238 | 93,963 | 92,369 |
| Motion pictures and performing arts | −2.3 | −2.2 | −1.4 | −3.5 | −0.04 | −0.04 | −0.02 | −0.06 | 16,680 | 16,312 | 16,090 | 15,520 |
| Spectator sports | 8.2 | 2.8 | 11.8 | 3.1 | 0.04 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.02 | 4,292 | 4,414 | 4,935 | 5,088 |
| Participant sports | 6.9 | 7.6 | 11.0 | 5.2 | 0.10 | 0.11 | 0.17 | 0.09 | 13,676 | 14,719 | 16,338 | 17,183 |
| Gambling | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.09 | 0.11 | 49,349 | 50,520 | 51,339 | 52,464 |
| All other recreation and entertainment | 2.6 | 2.8 | −14.1 | −27.1 | 0.04 | 0.04 | −0.21 | −0.33 | 14,095 | 14,488 | 12,451 | 9,074 |
| Shopping | −2.6 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | −0.35 | 0.00 | 0.42 | 0.39 | 130,147 | 130,155 | 134,569 | 138,930 |
The slowdown in real output growth was led by the downturn in gasoline spending, which decreased 2.6 percent in 2019. Other large contributors to the deceleration included food and beverage services, which decreased 0.9 percent after increasing 4.1 percent in 2018; domestic passenger air transportation services, which decelerated to 3.1 percent growth after increasing 6.1 percent in 2018; and traveler accommodations, which decelerated to 0.5 percent growth in 2019 after increasing 2.6 percent in 2018.
The deceleration in real output growth was partly offset by an upturn in international passenger air transportation services, which increased 10.6 percent after a decrease of 1.2 percent in 2018.
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Prices
Travel and tourism prices increased 1.4 percent in 2019, the third sequential year of increasing prices. The price increase was led by a 3.0 percent increase in the price of traveler accommodations, contributing 0.59 percentage point to overall tourism price growth. Other contributors were the prices of domestic passenger air transportation services, which grew 3.4 percent and contributed 0.51 percentage point, and food and beverage services, which contributed 0.38 percentage point.
The increase in overall tourism prices was partly offset by a 3.6 percent decrease in gasoline prices, which contributed −0.40 percentage point (table B and chart 2).
| Commodity | Annual growth rates (percent change from preceding period) | Contributions (percentage points) |
Price Indexes (index number, 2012=100) |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| All tourism goods and services | −0.9 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 1.4 | −0.91 | 2.26 | 2.96 | 1.43 | 97.6 | 99.8 | 102.8 | 104.2 |
| Traveler accommodations | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 0.50 | 0.12 | 0.12 | 0.59 | 111.3 | 111.9 | 112.6 | 116.0 |
| Food and beverage services | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 0.35 | 0.33 | 0.35 | 0.38 | 110.2 | 112.7 | 115.6 | 118.9 |
| Transportation | −4.2 | 3.2 | 4.7 | 0.6 | −1.79 | 1.37 | 2.02 | 0.28 | 87.3 | 90.1 | 94.3 | 94.9 |
| Passenger air transportation | −2.7 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 2.7 | −0.55 | 0.09 | 0.50 | 0.53 | 97.2 | 97.6 | 100.1 | 102.8 |
| Domestic passenger air transportation services | −2.3 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 3.4 | −0.34 | 0.10 | 0.27 | 0.51 | 98.2 | 98.9 | 100.7 | 104.2 |
| International passenger air transportation services | −4.1 | −0.3 | 4.8 | 0.5 | −0.21 | −0.01 | 0.23 | 0.02 | 94.1 | 93.8 | 98.3 | 98.8 |
| All other transportation-related commodities | −5.5 | 5.7 | 6.4 | −1.0 | −1.24 | 1.27 | 1.52 | −0.25 | 79.6 | 84.2 | 89.6 | 88.7 |
| Passenger rail transportation services | 2.2 | 3.3 | 0.3 | −0.7 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 100.3 | 103.5 | 103.9 | 103.2 |
| Passenger water transportation services | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | −0.6 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 105.3 | 104.6 |
| Intercity bus services | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.2 | −0.6 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 104.1 | 105.0 | 105.3 | 104.6 |
| Intercity charter bus services | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | −0.7 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 104.1 | 105.0 | 105.3 | 104.6 |
| Local bus and other transportation services | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 109.7 | 111.6 | 113.5 | 114.8 |
| Taxicab services | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 109.6 | 111.6 | 113.5 | 114.8 |
| Scenic and sightseeing transportation services | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 107.8 | 110.6 | 113.2 | 115.8 |
| Automotive rental and leasing | −7.5 | 0.4 | 2.2 | −0.5 | −0.24 | 0.01 | 0.07 | −0.02 | 91.6 | 91.9 | 94.0 | 93.5 |
| Other vehicle rental and leasing | 2.6 | −2.2 | −1.0 | 0.5 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 105.7 | 103.3 | 102.3 | 102.8 |
| Automotive repair services | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 106.5 | 108.5 | 110.5 | 114.1 |
| Parking | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 111.8 | 114.6 | 117.2 | 120.5 |
| Highway tolls | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 111.8 | 114.5 | 117.2 | 120.5 |
| Travel arrangement and reservation services | −0.1 | −0.2 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 0.03 | 0.10 | 101.5 | 101.3 | 101.9 | 104.0 |
| Gasoline | −11.4 | 13.2 | 13.5 | −3.6 | −1.12 | 1.18 | 1.36 | −0.40 | 60.2 | 68.2 | 77.3 | 74.6 |
| Recreation, entertainment, and shopping | 0.1 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.03 | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.18 | 100.1 | 102.1 | 104.1 | 105.0 |
| Recreation and entertainment | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.19 | 0.24 | 0.23 | 0.19 | 105.9 | 108.3 | 110.6 | 112.7 |
| Motion pictures and performing arts | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 0.07 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 109.0 | 111.8 | 114.2 | 116.3 |
| Spectator sports | 3.3 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 117.0 | 119.6 | 121.7 | 124.2 |
| Participant sports | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.04 | 105.4 | 107.8 | 110.9 | 113.8 |
| Gambling | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.07 | 0.11 | 0.13 | 0.09 | 104.5 | 106.8 | 109.4 | 111.4 |
| All other recreation and entertainment | 1.6 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 104.2 | 106.6 | 107.2 | 108.4 |
| Shopping | −1.3 | 1.6 | 1.9 | −0.1 | −0.16 | 0.21 | 0.24 | −0.01 | 95.9 | 97.4 | 99.3 | 99.2 |
The slowdown in tourism price growth was led by the downturn in the price of gasoline, a 3.6 percent decrease following a 13.5 percent increase in 2018. Additionally, the price of nondurable commodities other than gasoline, more commonly termed shopping, turned down, decreasing 0.1 percent after increasing 1.9 percent in 2018, while the price of international passenger air transportation services slowed to 0.5 percent growth after increasing 4.8 percent in 2018. This is offset to some extent by the acceleration in the price of traveler accommodations, which increased 3.0 percent after an increase of 0.6 percent.
[Click chart to expand]
Total output
Total tourism-related nominal output increased to $1.94 trillion in 2019, increasing 2.9 percent from $1.89 trillion in 2018. In 2019, total output consisted of $1.13 trillion in direct tourism output and $813.4 billion in indirect tourism output. The 1.72 ratio of total output to direct output in 2019 means that every dollar of direct tourism output requires an additional 72 cents of indirect tourism output (chart 3).
Direct tourism output includes goods and services sold directly to visitors, such as passenger air travel. Indirect tourism output includes sales of all goods and services used to produce that direct output, such as jet fuel to fly the plane and catering services for longer flights.
[Click chart to expand]
Value added
A sector’s value added measures its contribution to gross domestic product. In 2019, the travel and tourism industry’s share of GDP was 2.9 percent (table C). Travel and tourism accounted for a larger share of GDP than several industries, including broadcasting and telecommunications, utilities, mining, and agriculture.
| Billions of dollars | Percent | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Gross domestic product (GDP) | Tourism value added | Tourism value added as a share of GDP |
| 2008 | 14,713 | 399 | 2.71 |
| 2009 | 14,449 | 372 | 2.57 |
| 2010 | 14,992 | 392 | 2.61 |
| 2011 | 15,543 | 419 | 2.70 |
| 2012 | 16,197 | 435 | 2.69 |
| 2013 | 16,785 | 466 | 2.78 |
| 2014 | 17,527 | 489 | 2.79 |
| 2015 | 18,238 | 527 | 2.89 |
| 2016 | 18,745 | 539 | 2.88 |
| 2017 | 19,543 | 565 | 2.89 |
| 2018 | 20,612 | 598 | 2.90 |
| 2019 | 21,433 | 621 | 2.90 |
Direct employment
Direct tourism employment refers to jobs that are directly related to visitor spending on goods and services. Airline pilots, hotel clerks, and travel agents are examples of such employees. Overall, direct employment increased 0.8 percent in 2019 after increasing 2.2 percent in 2018. The largest contributors to the increase were traveler accommodations, which added 29,000 jobs in 2019, and air transportation services, which added 15,000 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) |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| All tourism industries | 1.9 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.89 | 1.51 | 2.23 | 0.76 | 5848 | 5936 | 6069 | 6115 |
| Traveler accommodations | 1.4 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 0.36 | 0.57 | 0.44 | 0.47 | 1482 | 1516 | 1542 | 1571 |
| Vacation Home Rentals | −3.6 | −2.5 | −1.9 | −2.3 | −0.01 | −0.01 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Food services and drinking places | 1.8 | −0.4 | 2.6 | −0.9 | 0.53 | −0.13 | 0.74 | −0.27 | 1728 | 1720 | 1765 | 1748 |
| Transportation | 3.4 | 3.9 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.77 | 0.90 | 0.59 | 0.53 | 1335 | 1388 | 1423 | 1455 |
| Air transportation services | 2.2 | 6.3 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 0.20 | 0.59 | 0.26 | 0.25 | 547 | 581 | 597 | 612 |
| All other transportation-related industries | 4.3 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 0.57 | 0.30 | 0.33 | 0.28 | 789 | 806 | 826 | 843 |
| Rail transportation services | −2.4 | −2.6 | −3.6 | 4.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 0.01 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Water transportation services | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 6.5 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.05 | 40 | 41 | 43 | 46 |
| Interurban bus transportation | −2.0 | 3.1 | −1.0 | 0.3 | −0.01 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
| Interurban charter bus transportation | 0.2 | 1.7 | −0.3 | −2.3 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
| Urban transit systems and other transportation | 7.8 | 6.3 | −3.0 | 10.1 | 0.08 | 0.07 | −0.03 | 0.10 | 61 | 64 | 63 | 69 |
| Taxi service | −9.3 | −10.4 | −8.1 | 2.9 | −0.01 | −0.01 | −0.01 | 0.00 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| Scenic and sightseeing transportation services | 3.5 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 |
| Automotive equipment rental and leasing | 1.8 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 6.1 | 0.03 | 0.06 | 0.08 | 0.11 | 99 | 103 | 108 | 114 |
| Automotive repair services | 3.8 | −1.5 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.05 | −0.02 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 75 | 74 | 76 | 77 |
| Parking lots and garages | −0.5 | 0.3 | 7.5 | 6.0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 36 | 36 | 38 | 41 |
| Toll highways | 4.3 | 5.2 | 11.8 | −0.1 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Travel arrangement and reservation services | 6.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | −1.1 | 0.22 | 0.03 | 0.00 | −0.04 | 201 | 203 | 203 | 201 |
| Petroleum refineries | 5.5 | 0.5 | −0.5 | −0.6 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Gasoline service stations | 5.8 | 4.0 | 5.9 | −0.3 | 0.17 | 0.12 | 0.18 | −0.01 | 177 | 184 | 195 | 194 |
| Recreation, entertainment, and shopping | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.25 | 0.21 | 0.41 | 0.05 | 1049 | 1062 | 1086 | 1089 |
| Recreation and entertainment | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.7 | −0.1 | 0.37 | 0.40 | 0.43 | −0.01 | 529 | 552 | 578 | 578 |
| Motion pictures and performing arts | −3.3 | −5.9 | −4.6 | −5.4 | −0.03 | −0.05 | −0.04 | −0.04 | 51 | 48 | 46 | 44 |
| Spectator sports | 6.3 | 2.1 | 7.3 | 0.3 | 0.04 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.00 | 40 | 41 | 44 | 44 |
| Participant sports | 8.9 | 7.6 | 11.4 | 5.3 | 0.35 | 0.32 | 0.50 | 0.25 | 243 | 261 | 291 | 306 |
| Gambling | −1.1 | 6.4 | 2.2 | −1.3 | −0.02 | 0.13 | 0.05 | −0.03 | 124 | 132 | 134 | 133 |
| All other recreation and entertainment | 3.3 | −1.3 | −10.8 | −18.3 | 0.04 | −0.02 | −0.13 | −0.19 | 72 | 71 | 63 | 51 |
| Shopping | −1.3 | −2.1 | −0.3 | 0.7 | −0.12 | −0.19 | −0.02 | 0.05 | 520 | 509 | 508 | 511 |
| Industries producing nondurable PCE commodities, excluding petroleum refineries | −1.5 | −1.7 | −0.1 | 2.7 | −0.04 | −0.04 | 0.00 | 0.06 | 134 | 132 | 132 | 135 |
| Retail trade services, excluding gasoline service stations | −1.3 | −2.2 | −0.3 | −0.1 | −0.09 | −0.15 | −0.02 | 0.00 | 386 | 378 | 376 | 376 |
| All other industries | −0.5 | −0.8 | 1.1 | −0.5 | −0.01 | −0.02 | 0.01 | −0.04 | 239 | 238 | 240 | 239 |
| All other industries, excluding Wholesale trade and transportation services | −0.6 | −1.6 | 0.4 | −3.2 | −0.01 | −0.02 | 0.01 | −0.04 | 80 | 79 | 79 | 76 |
| Wholesale trade and transportation services | −0.4 | −0.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 | −0.01 | −0.01 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 160 | 159 | 161 | 163 |
- PCE
- Personal consumption expenditures
Total employment
Total tourism-related employment (the sum of direct and indirect jobs) increased to 9.5 million jobs in 2019 from 9.4 million jobs in 2018. The 9.5 million jobs consisted of 6.1 million direct tourism jobs and 3.4 million indirect tourism jobs (chart 5). While direct tourism employment includes jobs that produce direct tourism output, such as airline pilots, indirect tourism employment is also generated by the businesses that supply goods and services to the tourism sector, such as refinery workers producing jet fuel. The most recent data indicate that for every 100 jobs supported directly by the travel and tourism industry, an additional 55 indirect tourism jobs are also required.
[Click chart to expand]
- All measures of travel and tourism activity not identified as being in “real,” inflation-adjusted terms are current-dollar estimates.
- For more information see, “The 2020 Annual Update of the Industry Economic Accounts: Revised Statistics for 2015–2019 and the First Quarter of 2020,” Survey of Current Business 100 (October 2020).
