Central and South America’s Travel & Tourism sector is projected to outperform the global average in 2026, driven by strong domestic demand, rising international visitor spending, and relatively lower exposure to geopolitical disruptions, according to the latest Economic Impact Research (EIR) released by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in partnership with Oxford Economics.
WTTC forecasts Travel & Tourism GDP across Central and South America will grow by 4.1% in 2026, exceeding the global average growth rate of 3.2%. International visitor spending in the region is expected to rise by 7.8%, more than double the projected global increase of 3.7%.
Globally, the Travel & Tourism sector is forecast to contribute US$12 trillion to the world economy in 2026, accounting for 9.9% of global GDP and supporting 376 million jobs. Over the next decade, global Travel & Tourism GDP is expected to grow at an annual rate of 3.6%, significantly faster than the wider global economy, which is projected to expand by 2.4% annually.
Several countries in Central and South America are expected to record particularly strong growth. Ecuador is forecast to lead the region with Travel & Tourism GDP growth of 11.6%, followed by Bolivia at 10.3%, supported by a 25.8% increase in international visitor spending. Colombia is projected to grow 5.7%, while Argentina is expected to achieve 4.9% growth.
Brazil, one of the region’s largest tourism markets, is forecast to record 2.1% growth in Travel & Tourism GDP and a 3% increase in international visitor spending. Venezuela is expected to post the strongest performance, with Travel & Tourism GDP projected to surge by 33.2% and international visitor spending by 34.8%.
In Central America, Guatemala is forecast to achieve 6.1% sector growth, while Panama is expected to record 8.4% growth. WTTC estimates that Travel & Tourism will support 18.5 million jobs across Central and South America in 2026, representing 8.3% of all employment in the region. The organisation emphasised that continued investment in connectivity, infrastructure, workforce development, affordability, and traveller confidence will be critical to sustaining long-term growth and competitiveness.
