The figures were revealed by Julia Simpson, WTTC president and chief executive, during the 2021 Tourism Alliance Conference.
The WTTC claimed that further damage could be done to the "already embattled sector" if new restrictions are imposed, such as potential measures which would see all travellers requiring a booster jab before they travel overseas.
It said that if restrictions were enforced in 2022, more than half a million jobs could be at risk next year.
Simpson said the "very real" prospect of more than 500,000 people losing their jobs across the industry because of "unnecessary" travel restrictions is a "huge concern" to the WTTC.
