The UN Tourism Department of Statistics, Standards and Data is UN custodian of the two official tourism indicators in the UN global SDG indicators framework. 

For Target 8.9: By 2023, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.

Indicator 8.9.1: Tourism Direct GDP, as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate.

For Target 12.b: Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.

Indicator 12.b.1: Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and
environmental aspects of tourism sustainability.

Data compilation through official country reporting started in 2019 and provides data from 2008 onwards. The latest updates of these indicators took place on 29 April 2024. 

On 30 October 2024, UN Tourism in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), launched a new dataset to complement the monitoring of Target 8.9 with the additional indicator  “Employed persons in the tourism industries”.

Tourism GDP  

Tourism Direct GDP, as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate

Tourism Direct GDP refers to the economic contribution of tourism.

_{* Source: Data compiled from countries by UN Tourism through annual statistical questionnaires.
** The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the UN Tourism.}

Employed persons

In the tourism industries and as a proportion of total employed persons

• Absolute values
• Proportion of Total employed

_{* Source: Data compiled from countries by UN Tourism and by ILO (Worker and Sector Profiles database, ILOSTAT). 
** The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the UN Tourism.}

Implementation of standard tools to monitor tourism sustainability 

Indicator 12.b.1 shows the preparedness of countries to “develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism” called for in target 12.b. More specifically, it tracks the implementation of the most relevant Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) and System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA) tables.

• TSA
• SEEA

_{* Source: Data compiled from countries by UN Tourism through annual statistical questionnaires.
** The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the UN Tourism.}