Sustainable tourism to sustain development

For many small developing countries, tourism is a major income earner. A growing number of the International Trade Centre’s (ITC) focus countries – smallisland developing states, small vulnerable economies, and least developed countries – regard the tourism sector as an important contributor to GDP and job creation, and as a platform for better developing backward and forward linkages in their economies. After all, worldwide tourism accounts for close to 10% of GDP, equivalent to around US$7.5 trillion, and is responsible for one in 11 jobs. The importance of tourism is also reflected in several of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and recognized as a crucial tool in the global community’s effort to eliminate extreme poverty.