WTTC Launches New Power, Efficiency and Opportunity Indices Expanding How Travel and Tourism Success is Measured

WTTC, in partnership with OMRAN Group, launched the inaugural Power, Efficiency & Opportunity (PEO) Indices at WTM London. Developed with Oxford Economics, the framework evaluates 184 economies using a broader measure of Travel & Tourism performance.

What the PEO Indices Measure
- Power Index: Economic scale and influence through GDP, employment, and investment.
- Environmental Efficiency Index: Resource use and environmental impact relative to tourism activity.
- Opportunity Index: Contribution to employment, youth employment, and female workforce participation.

Travel & Tourism Power Rankings
- Top three tourism economies:
- United States
- China
- India
- Other top 10 destinations include:
- Germany
- France
- United Kingdom
- Japan
- Mexico
- Spain
- Saudi Arabia
- The top 20 economies account for 81% of global Travel & Tourism GDP in 2024.

Environmental Efficiency Findings
- Global Environmental Efficiency scores improved between 2019 and 2024.
- Key improvements include:
- Higher use of low-carbon energy.
- Reduced greenhouse gas intensity.
- Leading performers:
- Sweden among high-income economies.
- Costa Rica among upper-middle-income economies.

Opportunity Index Highlights
- Measures employment creation, youth participation, and female employment.
- Top performers:
- Croatia (high-income economies)
- Maldives (upper-middle-income)
- El Salvador (lower-middle-income)
- The Gambia (low-income)
- Demonstrates tourism’s role in supporting inclusive growth and workforce opportunities.

Oman’s Performance
- Oman improved across all three PEO dimensions since 2019:
- Tourism Power
- Environmental Efficiency
- Employment Opportunities
- Women account for 28% of Travel & Tourism jobs in Oman, compared with 18% regionally.
- Young people hold 13% of tourism jobs, versus less than 9% across the wider Omani economy.

Why the Indices Matter
- Provide governments, investors, and industry leaders with a more holistic way to assess tourism performance.
- Help identify strengths, gaps, and investment priorities.
- Encourage growth that is:
- Economically strong
- Environmentally responsible
- Socially inclusive

Key Messages
- Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said the indices offer a more comprehensive understanding of tourism success by balancing economic impact, sustainability, and job creation.
- Ayad Al Balushi, CEO of OMRAN Group, said the framework moves beyond measuring growth alone to assess efficiency, opportunity, and long-term value creation.

Key Takeaway
- The new PEO Indices redefine how tourism success is measured by combining economic performance, environmental efficiency, and social impact, providing a more complete picture of destination competitiveness and resilience.