The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has predicted the United States tourism sector will strongly rebound this year. Barring further impact from Covid-19, the sector could make a $2 trillion GDP contribution, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 6.2 per cent.

News of the strong recovery follows steady gains in the sector during 2021 and signals the welcome comeback of one of the most important economic drivers after almost two years of upheaval.

“Our latest forecast shows the recovery significantly picking up this year as infection rates subside and travellers continue benefitting from the protection offered by the vaccine and boosters,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC chief executive.

“As travel restrictions ease and consumer confidence returns, we expect a welcome release of pent-up tourism demand. That, together with what we hope will be a strong consumer-led economic recovery, creates a bullish outlook for the sector.”

The WTTC is also predicting employment in the sector could also surpass pre-pandemic levels, reaching nearly 16.8 million jobs, above pre-pandemic levels by 200,000 jobs.

“The good news is our outlook delivers a clear message: If the right conditions exist, the tourism sector can rebound to deliver economic and employment benefits we have not seen since before the pandemic,” said Simpson. “We encourage global leaders to consider the economic and employment benefits of boosting consumer confidence by allowing fully vaccinated travellers to move freely.”