How Many Companies Are in the Tourism Industry?

By Michael Ferguson

The tourism industry is a vast and diverse sector that encompasses a wide range of businesses, from airlines and hotels to travel agencies and tour operators. It plays a critical role in the global economy, generating trillions of dollars in revenue each year and providing millions of jobs around the world.

So, how many companies are in the tourism industry?

The answer to this question is not straightforward since the tourism industry is made up of numerous sectors, each with its own set of businesses. However, we can broadly categorize them into three: accommodation, transportation, and travel agencies.

Accommodation:
This sector includes all types of lodging facilities such as hotels, motels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, hostels, and vacation rentals. According to Statista’s latest report from 2020, there were approximately 700,000 hotels worldwide. Besides hotels and resorts are vacation rental platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo that have gained significant popularity over the years.

Transportation:
This sector includes all modes of transportation used by tourists such as airlines, railways, cruise lines, car rentals, taxis or ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), there were over 4 billion air passengers worldwide in 2019. In addition to that according to Statista’s latest report from 2021 there are over 10 million registered vehicles on car-sharing platforms globally.

Travel Agencies:
This sector includes travel agents or tour operators who organize tours for individuals or groups. They offer various services such as booking flights and accommodations or arranging activities for tourists. According to IBISWorld’s report from 2020 in the US alone there are around 12k travel agencies.

    In conclusion

It’s tough to pin down an exact number as new companies join this industry every day, and some companies either merge or go out of business. However, the above figures show that the tourism industry is enormous, and its size and scope are only set to grow further in the future.