Tourism is a major industry in some countries. The industry generates billions of dollars in revenues and offer job opportunities for millions of workers. Some countries such as those in the Caribbean such as the Dominican Republic excel in building the infrastructure needed to promote a vibrant hospitality sector while others do not do well.

Among the OECD countries, Spain tops the ranking in terms of tourism as a percentage of GDP followed by Portugal and Mexico. France, Italy and Greece are also among the top ten. Global tourist destinations such as Barcelona, Milan, Rome, Paris, Greek islands, etc. are currently enjoying a huge growth in tourist arrivals due to terrorism fears and other issues in the Middle East , North Africa and Turkey.

The chart below shows Tourism as a Percentage of GDP among OECD Countries:

Click to enlarge

Source: OECD