OECD Tourism Trends and Policies is an international reference and benchmark on how countries are supporting sustainable and inclusive tourism growth. The publication highlights good practices and key policy and governance reforms, providing a global perspective with the inclusion of 50 OECD member and partner countries. It is a rich source of data on domestic, inbound and outbound tourism, as well as on the overall size of the tourism economy, and provides comparative knowledge through thematic chapters and country-specific policy and statistical profiles.

This reader’s guide provides information and methodological notes on the data sources used in this book: International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008, Tourism Satellite Account: Recommended Methodological Framework 2008 and Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual.

Tourism has been hard hit by the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating its importance as a driver of economic prosperity, jobs, income and well-being. Just as the sector is starting to bounce back, the economic and social fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine is dealing a fresh blow to recovery prospects. As the sector navigates these challenges amid an uncertain outlook, steady and transformative action is needed to drive recovery, and to set tourism on a path to a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive future.

This chapter covers recent tourism trends, and associated developments in tourism governance and policy, set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine. It is based on policy and statistical inputs from OECD member and partner countries. The chapter outlines the economic and social consequences of the tourism crisis triggered by the pandemic and examines the key recovery challenges and outlook ahead, including in the context of increasingly uncertain economic and geopolitical context. The role of governments in supporting a sustainable, resilient and inclusive tourism recovery is set out, and tourism policy priorities, reforms and developments are analysed with examples of country practices highlighted.

Continued growth in tourism over six decades led to the widely held belief in the inherent resilience of the tourism economy. However, consecutive global shocks have demonstrated the importance of building systemic resilience across the tourism ecosystem. This chapter provides analyses policy approaches to support the recovery and enhance the resilience of the tourism economy for the future, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. It considers actions to boost tourism recovery prospects, tackle the long-term consequences of the crisis, and better prepare for future shocks, while encouraging the shift to more resilient, sustainable and inclusive models of tourism. Key policy considerations are identified to set a path forward for policy makers to address structural weaknesses and to build resilience in the tourism ecosystem.

Significant progress has been made to better understand tourism’s impacts on the natural environment, and to mainstream the concept of sustainability in tourism policy. However, more needs to be done, and with a greater sense of urgency, to accelerate the transition to a greener tourism economy, to translate commitments into real actions and outcomes, and to embed environmental objectives into tourism policies. This chapter examines policy approaches to support the tourism recovery in a green and environmentally sustainable way, while delivering benefits to local communities and economies. It highlights key policy considerations to promote the transition to greener business models and destinations needed to transform the tourism system, and to deliver sustainable outcomes for the long-term.