The conclusion is clear: U.S. tourism is proving that it is possible to generate more economic value while adopting greener practices, marking a path toward truly sustainable tourism.
For the WTTC, these results turn the United States—the world’s largest travel and tourism market—into an international benchmark. In the words of its interim president, there is a “unique opportunity” to show that growth and environmental protection can go hand in hand.
This success not only reaffirms the feasibility of sustainable tourism, it also offers an exportable model for other countries seeking to modernize their tourism industry without sacrificing the environment.
Despite this progress, most of the sector’s emissions still come from transport: according to the report, journeys (by air and land) account for 54% of the total—significantly above the global average, which is around 40%.
To address this challenge, some U.S. airlines have already committed to using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Although supply remains limited, these agreements represent an important step toward decarbonizing air transport.
Advances in energy efficiency, the adoption of cleaner fuels, and other mitigation mechanisms will be essential if the sector is to maintain this positive momentum and further reduce its ecological footprint.
The impact of sustainable growth in U.S. tourism is not limited to the environment. The sector is also seeing tangible improvements in its social dimension. In 2024, of the direct jobs generated by the industry, 9.5 million were held by women, representing 47.4% of the total—an increase of 1.8% compared with 2023.
Young people (aged 15 to 24) also slightly increased their participation: their numbers rose from 3.50 to 3.54 million workers, accounting for 23.7% of direct employment in the sector. This share is higher than both the regional average for the Americas (19.6%) and the overall U.S. labor market (13.1%).
These figures show that tourism can not only generate wealth sustainably, but also contribute to equity and youth employment, strengthening its role as a driver of social development.
The WTTC’s assessment indicates that the U.S. travel and tourism industry is today on a path of profound transformation: increasingly profitable, more efficient, more inclusive, and less polluting. These advances may mark the beginning of a structural shift in which economic prosperity and environmental responsibility are no longer opposing forces.
With the decarbonization of transport as the main challenge ahead and powered by innovation in energy, the sector could consolidate itself as a global benchmark. If other economies follow this example—adopting green policies, investing in clean technologies, and promoting inclusive employment—sustainable tourism could move from aspiration to global reality, where travel and care for the planet go hand in hand.
