The World Travel and Tourism Travel Council (WTTC), a forum for business leaders in this important global sector, recently released its 2014 economic impact report. Among the highlights of the report, which is presented in a gorgeous interactive Web application featuring an Earth globe that you can manipulate right on your browser, Costa Rica’s already sizable contribution from tourism to gross domestic product (GDP) is poised to grow by more than five percentage points this year.

The WTTC Costa Rica Economic Impact Report underlines the economic and social relevance of the Travel and Tourism industry in Costa Rica as well its potential over the next decade. Here are some of the figures presented by the WTTC report:

In 2013 in Costa Rica:

• The total contribution from Travel and Tourism to GDP was CRC 2,976.6 billion, (12.1 percent of GDP).
• The total contribution from Travel and Tourism to employment, including jobs indirectly supported by the sector was 241,600 jobs (11.5 percent of total employment).
• Travel and Tourism investment in Costa Rica was CRC 176.0 billion, or 3.5 percent of total investment. It is projected to rise by 7.5 percent in 2014.
• Each year, WTTC undertakes an economic analysis of the impact of the Travel and Tourism sector in 184 countries.

David Scowsill, President and CEO of WTTC, says 2013 proved another successful year for the sector on global level:

Travel and Tourism’s contribution to the world economy grew for the fourth consecutive year in 2013, helped especially by strong demand from international travelers.

Visitor exports, the measure of money spent by these international tourists, rose by 3.9 percent at a global level year on year, to $1.3 trillion, and by over 10 percent within South East Asia.

It is clear that the growth in Travel and Tourism demand from emerging markets continues with pace, as the burgeoning middle-classes, especially from Asia and Latin America, are willing and more able than ever to travel both within and beyond their borders.