Many developing nations depend heavily on tourism as a means of economic growth, and this is especially true for outlying areas that are too distant from major metropolitan areas to support themselves without a constant influx of visitors. It is safe to assume that without tourist spending, their economies would suffer greatly. A wide range of industries, most notably the tourist industry, are impacted by the actions of the aviation industry. Air travel’s facilitation of greater connection is a driving force in the expansion of the tourist industry, which in turn generates considerable economic gains for all parties involved.

It is no secret that the travel industry and the airline industry both contribute significantly to a thriving economy. Instead of diminishing the world’s natural resources, tourism that is both responsible and sustainable helps to preserve and appreciate them, creating valuable employment in the service sector. The economic advantages of tourism are undeniable, but it is the responsibility of businesses and governments to minimise any negative effects on the environment and the local community.

How do tourism and aviation combine to support sustainable growth in the economy?

Out of the overall $2.7 trillion in economic activity sustained by aircraft, more than $892 billion is directly tied to tourism. It is simple to see why air travel is so important to the tourism business when one considers that 54% of all foreign travellers use it to get to their destination. Twenty-seven million people’s livelihoods were directly or indirectly attributed to the aviation industry 20 years ago when its entire economic effect was projected at USD 1.36 trillion (1998). Since then, as more and more people have gained access to low-cost air travel, aviation’s role in the contemporary economy has expanded dramatically. The aviation business is responsible for 3.6% of global GDP, or USD 2.7 trillion, and directly or indirectly sustains 65.5 million employments globally, as per the latest current estimate (2016).

The aviation industry is a facilitator for other sectors since its operations and supply chains (both direct and indirect) contribute to its ability to generate income and jobs, both induced and tourism-catalytic. Aviation has an outsized role in several regions, especially when it comes down to the regional scale. It is difficult to see the economy of some nations thriving without the influx of visitors provided by air travel. Air travel and the tourist industry have a mutually beneficial connection that results in the creation of almost 37 million jobs and a yearly increase of around USD 897 billion in global GDP. When you add all the indirect employment that was made possible by the aviation industry and aviation-enabled tourism, you get 6.4 global jobs for every direct job. In a similar vein, for every dollar of GVA, the aviation industry generated, it indirectly supported an additional $3.80 in economic activity.

Other economic advantages of aviation, like employment or economic activity created when businesses or industries may exist because of convenient access to the air, are not accounted for in these estimations. They also fail to account for the importance of fast and reliable air travel to the development of long-term productive assets that fuel economic expansion, along with the value of domestic tourism and trade and the simulated foreign direct investment (FDI) made possible by reliable air transport links. There would be a significant rise in employment and global economic effect if they were included. One may expect a multiplicative effect on the demand for firms that support the aviation industry from the demand for air travel itself. The convenience of flying is a boon to the tourist industry.

The growth of the tourism business in popular destinations like the Hawaiian Islands is directly attributable to the ease and low cost with which visitors may travel to and from the islands. When more people can fly to a destination, more hotels and holiday tour companies open up shop there, as do allied service industries like the catering industry and the retail sector selling necessities like toilet paper and soap. What is meant by the term “economic multiplier” is the additional growth that results from an industry, such as the aviation sector. The direct economic benefit of aircraft transportation on a local economy is typically about $2 billion, leading to a total economic effect of $5 billion, or an economic multiplier of 2.5.

Current estimates by the inter-industry Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) place the worldwide aviation industry’s overall economic effect (direct, induced, indirect, and tourism-connected) at USD2.7 trillion, or around 3.5% of global GDP in 2014. Transportation in general is dependent on aeroplanes, but the travel industry is especially reliant on them. Air travel boosts the economy and reduces poverty by making vacationing more accessible. Roughly 1.2 billion visitors travel internationally annually, with air travel accounting for more than half of these arrivals. More than 36 million tourism-related employment were supported by aviation in 2014, and the industry as a whole contributed over $892 billion to global GDP.

Air travel is crucial to international trade since it is the only fast, global transportation network. The expansion of the economy, the emergence of new employment opportunities, and the easing of travel and commerce across countries are all direct results of this phenomenon. Aviation’s role as a commerce facilitator means that more companies may sell their goods throughout the world. Better buyer-seller communication and just-in-time inventory management, as well as build-to-order manufacturing, are made possible by this system.

The airline industry is a liberating force that has a profound impact on people’s lives all across the globe. Stronger air connectivity, which in turn drives even more social and economic success, is possible with the correct policy framework from governments. Through the employment of locals in tourism businesses, the provision of products and services to visitors, the operation of small and community-based companies, etc., poverty may be alleviated if air transport is used to assist tourism sustainably. To achieve this goal, we must keep commerce and travel lanes open and make wise choices about the creation of adequate, resource-friendly infrastructure.