Mapped: The World’s Most Tourism-Dependent Economies
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Key Takeaways
- Tourism accounts for nearly 72% of GDP in Andorra, the world’s most tourism-dependent economy.
- Small island nations dominate the rankings, including Aruba, the Maldives, and the Bahamas.
- Among major economies, the UAE stands out, with tourism contributing over 10% of GDP.
For some countries, tourism is far more than a travel industry. It is the backbone of the economy.
This map, created by Iswardi Ishak using data from UN Tourism, shows tourism receipts as a share of GDP across 147 countries. Small island states and microeconomies dominate the rankings, with Andorra, Aruba, and the Maldives generating more than two-thirds of economic output from visitor spending.
By contrast, tourism makes up a relatively small share of GDP in larger economies like the U.S. and China, where sectors such as technology, manufacturing, and finance play a much larger role.
Countries Driven by Tourism
Andorra leads the ranking, with tourism contributing nearly three-quarters of GDP. Aruba and the Maldives follow closely behind, highlighting how small economies tied to beaches, resorts, and international travel can become deeply reliant on visitor spending.
| Rank | Country | Receipts (USD, Billions) | Receipts as Share of GDP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andorra | 2.9 | 71.8 |
| 2 | Aruba | 3.0 | 70.3 |
| 3 | Macao SAR | 34.6 | 70.0 |
| 4 | Maldives | 48.0 | 68.0 |
| 5 | Seychelles | 1.2 | 55.4 |
| 6 | Saint Lucia | 1.3 | 51.0 |
| 7 | Antigua and Barbuda | 0.9 | 39.9 |
| 8 | Bahamas | 5.4 | 34.1 |
| 9 | Cabo Verde | 0.8 | 27.9 |
| 10 | Grenada | 0.4 | 26.2 |
| 11 | Belize | 0.8 | 25.9 |
| 12 | Samoa | 0.2 | 20.4 |
| 13 | Albania | 5.4 | 20.0 |
| 14 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 43.0 | 19.9 |
| 15 | Jamaica | 1.6 | 19.5 |
| 16 | Montenegro | 14.0 | 19.4 |
| 17 | Barbados | 11.0 | 18.7 |
| 18 | Fiji | 0.4 | 18.4 |
| 19 | Gambia | 16.2 | 18.3 |
| 20 | Croatia | 0.2 | 17.4 |
| 21 | St. Kitts and Nevis | 46.0 | 16.9 |
| 22 | Lebanon | 2.2 | 16.3 |
| 23 | Mauritius | 78.0 | 14.7 |
| 24 | Jordan | 47.0 | 14.6 |
| 25 | Georgia | 0.1 | 13.8 |
| 26 | Dominica | 5.4 | 13.1 |
| 27 | Iceland | 4.0 | 10.8 |
| 28 | Cyprus | 37.0 | 10.6 |
| 29 | El Salvador | 27.0 | 10.5 |
| 30 | Armenia | 57.0 | 10.4 |
| 31 | UAE | 0.1 | 10.3 |
| 32 | Tonga | 30.0 | 10.2 |
| 33 | Portugal | 14.8 | 9.6 |
| 34 | Morocco | 23.4 | 9.2 |
| 35 | Dominican Republic | 0.1 | 9.1 |
| 36 | Sao Tome and Principe | 44.8 | 8.5 |
| 37 | Thailand | 75.0 | 8.5 |
| 38 | Luxembourg | 1.3 | 8.0 |
| 39 | Laos | 3.6 | 7.9 |
| 40 | Cambodia | 66.0 | 7.8 |
| 41 | Panama | 2.0 | 7.6 |
| 42 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.2 | 6.8 |
| 43 | Bhutan | 106.5 | 6.7 |
| 44 | Spain | 25.8 | 6.2 |
| 45 | Malaysia | 24.7 | 6.1 |
| 46 | Timor-Leste | 5.6 | 5.9 |
| 47 | Costa Rica | 2.9 | 5.9 |
| 48 | Tunisia | 44.0 | 5.7 |
| 49 | Tanzania | 1.0 | 5.6 |
| 50 | Kyrgyz Republic | 1.0 | 5.5 |
| 51 | Singapore | 275.0 | 5.0 |
| 52 | Slovenia | 3.6 | 4.9 |
| 53 | Austria | 0.2 | 4.9 |
| 54 | Egypt | 26.3 | 4.6 |
| 55 | Turkiye | 18.0 | 4.4 |
| 56 | Zambia | 60.0 | 4.4 |
| 57 | Bulgaria | 11.0 | 4.2 |
| 58 | Namibia | 48.0 | 4.2 |
| 59 | Hungary | 0.6 | 4.1 |
| 60 | Uzbekistan | 9.2 | 4.1 |
| 61 | Rwanda | 47.0 | 4.1 |
| 62 | North Macedonia | 0.6 | 4.0 |
| 63 | New Zealand | 0.7 | 3.8 |
| 64 | Qatar | 10.0 | 3.8 |
| 65 | Estonia | 8.4 | 3.7 |
| 66 | Serbia | 1.6 | 3.7 |
| 67 | Uganda | 0.9 | 3.5 |
| 68 | Saudi Arabia | 19.0 | 3.4 |
| 69 | Sri Lanka | 42.6 | 3.2 |
| 70 | Latvia | 3.2 | 3.2 |
| 71 | Australia | 1.4 | 3.2 |
| 72 | Uruguay | 55.4 | 3.1 |
| 73 | Mongolia | 2.5 | 3.1 |
| 74 | Botswana | 0.7 | 3.0 |
| 75 | Denmark | 0.6 | 2.9 |
| 76 | Czechia | 12.4 | 2.9 |
| 77 | Paraguay | 10.1 | 2.7 |
| 78 | Azerbaijan | 1.2 | 2.7 |
| 79 | Iraq | 2.0 | 2.7 |
| 80 | Nicaragua | 74.0 | 2.6 |
| 81 | Vietnam | 0.5 | 2.6 |
| 82 | Switzerland | 12.2 | 2.5 |
| 83 | Italy | 23.4 | 2.5 |
| 84 | France | 58.7 | 2.4 |
| 85 | United Kingdom | 77.0 | 2.4 |
| 86 | Oman | 89.6 | 2.4 |
| 87 | Lithuania | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| 88 | Canada | 2.0 | 2.3 |
| 89 | Colombia | 51.3 | 2.2 |
| 90 | Honduras | 9.4 | 2.1 |
| 91 | Sweden | 0.8 | 2.1 |
| 92 | Norway | 12.4 | 2.0 |
| 93 | Moldova | 95.0 | 1.9 |
| 94 | Solomon Islands | 0.0 | 1.9 |
| 95 | Mexico | 35.0 | 1.9 |
| 96 | Philippines | 87.0 | 1.9 |
| 97 | Netherlands | 22.6 | 1.9 |
| 98 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.4 | 1.7 |
| 99 | South Africa | 68.0 | 1.7 |
| 100 | Poland | 15.5 | 1.7 |
| 101 | Japan | 64.0 | 1.6 |
| 102 | Guatemala | 17.0 | 1.5 |
| 103 | Romania | 5.7 | 1.5 |
| 104 | Nepal | 0.6 | 1.5 |
| 105 | Bahrain | 28.0 | 1.5 |
| 106 | Ghana | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| 107 | Ecuador | 1.8 | 1.4 |
| 108 | Kuwait | 2.3 | 1.4 |
| 109 | Bolivia | 0.8 | 1.4 |
| 110 | Finland | 42.0 | 1.4 |
| 111 | Belgium | 9.4 | 1.4 |
| 112 | Peru | 4.0 | 1.4 |
| 113 | Indonesia | 18.3 | 1.3 |
| 114 | Ireland | 79.0 | 1.3 |
| 115 | Slovakia | 17.0 | 1.2 |
| 116 | Malta | 3.6 | 1.2 |
| 117 | Djibouti | 0.1 | 1.2 |
| 118 | Mozambique | 0.3 | 1.2 |
| 119 | South Korea | 22.2 | 1.2 |
| 120 | Chile | 3.8 | 1.2 |
| 121 | Kazakhstan | 2.9 | 1.0 |
| 122 | Palestine | 0.1 | 1.0 |
| 123 | Germany | 41.0 | 0.9 |
| 124 | Brunei Darussalam | 0.1 | 0.9 |
| 125 | Ethiopia | 1.2 | 0.8 |
| 126 | India | 31.4 | 0.8 |
| 127 | Argentina | 49.0 | 0.8 |
| 128 | United States | 213.0 | 0.7 |
| 129 | Suriname | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| 130 | Ukraine | 1.2 | 0.6 |
| 131 | Israel | 3.2 | 0.6 |
| 132 | Cuba | 1.3 | 0.5 |
| 133 | Zimbabwe | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| 134 | Lesotho | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| 135 | Russia | 9.0 | 0.4 |
| 136 | Eswatini | 0.0 | 0.4 |
| 137 | Niger | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| 138 | Brazil | 79.0 | 0.4 |
| 139 | China | 55.2 | 0.3 |
| 140 | Pakistan | 8.0 | 0.2 |
| 141 | Haiti | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| 142 | Tajikistan | 0.0 | 0.1 |
| 143 | Nigeria | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| 144 | Algeria | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| 145 | Mauritania | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 146 | Kiribati | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 147 | Papua New Guinea | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Why Some Countries Depend on Tourism More Than Others
For large economies like the U.S. or China, tourism receipts represent a relatively small slice of overall output. Technology, manufacturing, finance, and domestic consumption play a much larger role in economic activity.
Smaller economies often have fewer paths to growth. Many island nations lack the scale, resources, or industrial base needed to compete in manufacturing or technology. Tourism, by contrast, can generate foreign income quickly while supporting jobs across hotels, restaurants, transportation, and retail.
Among larger economies, the UAE is one of the most tourism-dependent, with visitor spending contributing more than 10% of GDP. Portugal and Greece also rank relatively high, supported by strong international travel demand and major coastal tourism industries.
The Benefits and Risks of Tourism Dependency
Tourism can deliver enormous advantages. It generates foreign exchange earnings, supports local businesses, and can accelerate infrastructure investment, including airports and transit systems. Countries with thriving tourism sectors often benefit from increased global connectivity as international travel demand continues recovering post-pandemic.
Heavy reliance on tourism also creates major risks. During the pandemic, some of the world’s most tourism-dependent economies experienced severe economic contractions as flights stopped and borders closed almost overnight.
Environmental pressures add another layer of risk. Overtourism can strain ecosystems, housing affordability, and public infrastructure, particularly in small coastal destinations already facing climate-related threats.
Can Tourism Economies Diversify?
Many tourism-dependent countries are now trying to reduce their exposure to external shocks without abandoning the industry entirely. Policymakers are increasingly promoting higher-value tourism and digital industries to broaden economic growth.
Still, diversification is easier said than done. Countries with limited natural resources or small populations may lack the scale to build large manufacturing or technology sectors. In those cases, tourism remains less of a temporary strategy and more of a long-term comparative advantage.
For many countries, tourism will remain a long-term economic pillar. The challenge now is making these economies more resilient by expanding into new industries, attracting higher-value tourism, and reducing exposure to future travel disruptions.
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