New research reveals the countries that rely on tourism the most, from the Maldives to the Bahamas.
The study by Bounce analysed the countries where money from tourism makes up the greatest share of local GDP, as well as those which receive the most money overall from visitors, to reveal the countries that rely on tourism the most.
Top 10 Countries that Rely on Tourism the Most
|
Rank |
Country |
Tourism contribution to GDP |
Tourism contribution to employment |
Average contribution |
|
1 |
Aruba |
27.64% |
29.91% |
28.77% |
|
2 |
British Virgin Islands |
32.96% |
24.03% |
28.49% |
|
3 |
Maldives |
38.92% |
15.74% |
27.33% |
|
4 |
Seychelles |
25.74% |
25.35% |
25.54% |
|
5 |
Bahamas |
19.23% |
26.48% |
22.86% |
|
6 |
St. Lucia |
15.61% |
27.30% |
21.45% |
|
7 |
Cape Verde |
17.66% |
15.77% |
16.72% |
|
8 |
Vanuatu |
18.16% |
14.35% |
16.25% |
|
9 |
Malta |
14.08% |
15.64% |
14.86% |
|
10 |
Belize |
14.95% |
12.92% |
13.94% |
The country most reliant on tourism is Aruba with the contribution to GDP sitting at 27.64%, and the contribution to employment being 29.91%, accounting on average 28.77% of the local economy. Like most of the top-rated countries, tourism is so popular in Aruba due to its climate, with clear, sunny skies pretty much all year round.
The second country that relies heavily on tourism is the British Virgin Islands with a contribution to GDP of 32.96% and a contribution to employment of 24.03% accounting on average for 28.49% of the local economy.
The Maldives ranks in third place, with a contribution to GDP of 38.92% and a contribution to employment of 15.74% averaging at 27.33% of the local economy.
Although countries like Nevis may not be as popular for tourism as some other destinations, they have gained significant attention from expats for their renowned Nevis Trust systems. These systems offer robust privacy laws, tax benefits, and secure structures.
The research also revealed the countries with the highest tourism GDP:
|
Rank |
Country |
% of GDP |
|
1 |
Maldives |
38.92% |
|
2 |
British Virgin Islands |
32.96% |
|
3 |
Aruba |
27.64% |
|
4 |
Seychelles |
25.74% |
|
5 |
Bahamas |
19.23% |
Unsurprisingly, many of the countries where tourism is most important to the economy are located in popular island destinations.
The country with the highest % of GDP is the Maldives. Here, tourism directly brings in over $1bn a year, which is small in comparison to some bigger countries but accounts for almost 40% of the local GDP.
