travel & tourism development index 2021

New Travel and Tourism Development Index Benchmarks 117 Countries

The Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021: Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future, ranks 117 economies on a range of factors that are crucial to the development, sustainability and resiliency of their travel and tourism industry, which in turn contributes to economic and social development.

“COVID shutdowns have re-emphasized the important contribution travel and tourism makes to many economies around the world,” said Lauren Uppink, Head of Aviation, Travel and Tourism at the World Economic Forum. “As the world emerges from the pandemic, economies must invest in building a strong and resilient environment to deliver the travel and tourism experience and services for many decades to come.”

While overall international tourism and business travel is still below pre-pandemic levels, the sector recovery has been bolstered by greater vaccination rates, return to more open travel, and growing demand for domestic and nature-based tourism. Many businesses and destinations have adapted to these shifting demand dynamics. According the UNWTO, the difference in international tourist arrivals between just January 2021 and January 2022 is greater than arrivals growth in all of 2021.

As the sector slowly recovers from the global health crisis – especially as vaccines become more available and health restrictions lifted – it will be important for the travel and tourism sector to take steps that embed long-term inclusivity, sustainability and resilience as it continues to face evolving challenges and risks.

Despite positive trends, the travel and tourism sector is still facing many hurdles with its recovery. This includes uneven vaccine distribution, capacity constraints, labour shortages, supply chain disruptions and more.

“Government, business and civil society leaders can address barriers to recovery by looking at the different factors that can support the long-term development and resiliency of their respective travel and tourism economies,” added Uppink. “This will require decision-makers to restore consumer confidence and international openness by prioritizing such things as enhanced health and security measures, encouraging inclusive labour practices, improving environmental sustainability and investing in digital technology.”

Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 results

In this year’s index, Japan takes the top spot followed by the United States, Spain, France and Germany rounding out the top five.

Other than the US, the top-10 scoring economies are high-income economies in Europe or Asia-Pacific. After top-ranking Japan, regional economies Australia and Singapore come in seventh and ninth, respectively. Italy joined the top 10 (up from 12th in 2019) in 2021, while Canada slid from 10th to 13th.

Viet Nam experienced the greatest improvement in score (from 60th to 52nd) on the overall index, while Indonesia (44th to 32nd) and Saudi Arabia (43rd to 33rd) had the greatest improvement in rank.

While Europe, Eurasia and Asia-Pacific dominate the 2021 rankings, Europe is the only region to have decreased its average score since 2019, slightly eroding its considerable lead. Sub-Saharan Africa had the greatest improvement in performance, but far more needs to be done for economies in the region to catch up with the global average.

The Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 is a direct evolution of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, which has been published biennially for the past 15 years. The change reflects the new index’s enhanced focus on the sector’s overall role in economic and social development and the greater need for stakeholder collaboration and development strategies. Based on an altered framework, methodology and other differences, the 2021 index should not be compared to the one published in 2019. To help address this, the 2019 results were recalculated using the new framework, methodology and indicators; all comparisons in score and rankings throughout the new report are between the 2019 results and the 2021 results of the Travel and Tourism Development Index.

Rebuilding for a sustainable and resilient future

Given the travel and tourism sector’s important role in global economic and social prosperity, investing in the drivers of its development will be crucial in the coming years, according to the publication. As economies look to rebuild their travel and tourism sectors, they should focus on making their travel sectors more inclusive, sustainable and resilient to future risks.

To achieve this, one top enabling factor that should be prioritized is restoring and accelerating international openness and consumer confidence by improving, for example, health and security. This could include more investments into healthcare infrastructure and personnel and greater distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations in lower-income economies.

“Efforts to build favourable and inclusive labour practices, improve environmental sustainability and strengthening the management of tourism demand and impact will help economies ensure strong development of their travel destinations,” said Uppink. For example, sustainable environmental policies that can help protect natural resources have become even more vital as consumer preference for sustainable travel options and nature-based travel grows.

Digital technology will also be vital to achieving all of this. New digital tools can be used to manage tourism flows, optimize visitors’ experiences and reduce overcrowding. Addressing issues such as the digital divide, skills gaps and fully including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in digitalization efforts will be critical to fully leveraging digital technology to improve the tourism sector as a whole.

About the Annual Meeting 2022 For over 50 years, the World Economic Forum has been the international organization for public-private cooperation. The Annual Meeting is the focal point for leaders to accelerate the partnerships needed to tackle global challenges and shape a more sustainable and inclusive future. Convening under the theme History at a Turning Point: Government Policies and Business Strategies, the Annual Meeting 2022 and its 200 sessions brings together global leaders from business, government and civil society.

Read the full Travel and Tourism Development Index here

First published at TravelCommunication.net

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Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021: Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future

5. Regional results

The Europe and Eurasia and Asia-Pacific regions dominate the index ranking, while sub-Saharan Africa showed the greatest improvement in performance.

Figure 13: Regional TTDI 2021 performance distribution

Overall, the Europe and Eurasia (Europe) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions dominate the TTDI ranking (9.0% and 4.9% above the TTDI average, respectively). However, Europe is the only region to have decreased its average score since 2019 (just -0.5%), very slightly eroding its considerable lead. On the other hand, the sub-Saharan Africa (Africa) region had the greatest improvement in performance (+1.1%), but far more needs to be done for economies in the region to catch up with the global average (-18.4% below TTDI average). The Americas and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions also underperform the global average (-3.1% and -2.8% below TTDI average). Nonetheless, the Americas region has marginally gained in its score (+0.6%), while MENA has remained relatively stable as its improvement (+0.1%) was in line with overall global performance.

The section below provides additional analysis of each region and highlights the top performers or interesting results. It is important to note that regions are often composed of a wide variety of economies at different levels of development. Therefore, the quantitative results may not reflect some of these more nuanced realities. For a more in-depth visualization of regional data, please click here .

The Americas

While 13 out of the 21 Americas economies covered in the TTDI have improved their score since 2019, the region as a whole still performs below the TTDI average, with just under half of the 21 economies scoring above the mean. One of the most defining aspects of the region’s T&T is its rich endowment of nature. More than half of its economies score above the TTDI average for the Natural Resources pillar, nine are in the top 20 performers and five (in order of pillar scoring, Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Canada and Colombia) among the top 10. These five, and a few others, also possess above-average cultural and non-leisure resources. On average, the region’s economies also have above-average tourist service infrastructure, price competitiveness and prioritization of T&T, although this varies greatly between constituent countries.

On the other hand, the region’s T&T sector faces many challenges, not least unfavourable enabling environments and, in particular, often poor business (especially outside of high-income economies) and safety and security conditions. In fact, half of the 20 lowest-ranking economies for safety and security globally come from Latin America. The region’s less developed economies require significant investment in mobility services and infrastructure, especially for ground transport, and a noticeable need to enhance international openness. The majority of economies in the Americas also need to tackle socioeconomic resilience and environmental sustainability issues.

The United States is the region’s top TTDI scorer (2nd) and accounts for the vast majority of the region’s T&T GDP. Outside of the United States, Canada (13th), Mexico (40th), Brazil (49th) and Argentina (59th) account for much of the remaining T&T GDP. Chile (34th) stands out as the top performer in South America, while Uruguay , which was the most T&T-dependent economy in the region in 2020, experienced the fastest rate of improvement (+3.6%, 61st to 55th).

Asia-Pacific

The APAC region is the second-highest performer in the ranking. Of its 20 constituent economies, 12 score above the TTDI average and 13 have improved their score since 2019.

The region is large and diverse. It is home to some of the best combinations of natural, cultural and non-leisure resources, but environmental sustainability challenges threaten its lead in the former. Many of the more developed economies in APAC have world-class transport, tourism, healthcare and ICT infrastructure, high levels of international openness and investment in T&T, conducive business environments, high performance for socioeconomic resilience and qualified and productive workforces. On the other hand, the region’s less developed economies’ advantage in price competitiveness and rich natural assets are often offset by gaps in the aforementioned factors such as tourism, healthcare and ICT infrastructure, international openness and socioeconomic resilience. However, these gaps are being bridged somewhat as APAC’s lower- middle-income economies have improved their performance, with particularly strong growth in areas such as ICT readiness.

As mentioned, Japan is the top performer in both the APAC region and globally, with Australia (7th) and Singapore (9th) ranking in the global top 10. However, it is lower-middle-income economies such as Viet Nam (+4.7%, 60th to 52nd), Indonesia (+3.4%, 44th to 32nd) and Pakistan (+2.9%, 89th to 83rd) that have improved their TTDI scores the most since 2019. China, which ranks 12th on the TTDI, has the region’s largest T&T economy, while the Philippines, which depended the most on T&T for its GDP in 2020, ranks 75th. Although Japan and Singapore lead the ranking in the Eastern APAC and South-East Asia subregions, respectively, India (54th) is the top scorer in South Asia.

Europe and Eurasia

Europe remains the TTDI’s top-performing region, surpassing the global average in most pillars and being among the best positioned to grow in the coming years. Of the 43 regional economies covered in the index, 32 score above the global average and 18 have improved their score since 2019.

As a global economic and cultural centre, the region boasts some of the highest scores for cultural and non-leisure resources, travel to which is bolstered by, on average, a high degree of international openness and quality infrastructure, including the best ground and tourist service infrastructure. Operating in the region is also made easier by leading ICT and healthcare infrastructure and favourable business, security, human resource and labour markets, and socioeconomic conditions. Advantages in many of these categories are especially concentrated in the more economically developed Western, Southern and Northern Europe subregions. Moreover, the region’s international openness is based around members of the European Union and Schengen Area (the 26 European countries that have abolished passport control etc. on their mutual borders).

Countries in the Eurasia and Balkans and Eastern Europe subregions tend to be more price- competitive compared to their expensive western neighbours, while more tourism-dependent southern European states stand out for their prioritization of T&T, tourism infrastructure and natural resources. Overall, European economies do better than most in environmental sustainability, but they often have more limited natural resources, resulting in some of the lower marks for the T&T Demand Pressure and Impact pillar, which includes signs of unsustainable demand such as high rates of seasonality and shorter visitor stays.

Spain ranks highest in the region (3rd). However, France (4th), Germany (5th), Switzerland (6th), the United Kingdom (8th) and Italy (10th) all rank among the top 10 on the index. In 2020, Croatia (46th) and Albania (72nd) were most dependent on T&T for GDP, while Germany has the largest T&T economy.

Middle East and North Africa

While the MENA region underperforms the global TTDI average, results vary greatly based on the subregion and economic level of development. Overall, the region scores above average in eight pillars, with half of the dozen economies covered by the index scoring above average.

MENA’s high-income economies, all of which are based in the Middle East subregion, are typically defined by top-notch air transport, a significant presence of non-leisure resources such as major corporations, and overall favourable enabling environments, including business and human resource and labour markets and good ICT-readiness. On the other hand, North African economies, all of which are lower-middle- income, have gaps in air, tourist, health and ICT infrastructure and access to qualified labour. Yet they lead the region in price competitiveness and tend to prioritize and devote relatively more resources to T&T. To further develop their T&T sector, many MENA countries need to increase their international openness, invest more in ground services and tourist infrastructure and focus on promoting and establishing cultural and, in particular, natural attractions. The latter task will be hard to achieve without improving the region’s challenging environmental sustainability situation. Moreover, the region can significantly improve its skilled labour availability and resilience by addressing socioeconomic issues such as lagging social protection coverage, youth employment and training, workers’ rights and opportunities for women and minority groups.

The United Arab Emirates (25th) is the best TTDI performer in the region. However, since 2019, Saudi Arabia , which has the largest T&T economy in the region, has had the biggest leap in the rankings (+2.3%, 43rd to 33rd), while Egypt has had the second greatest percentage improvement (+4.3%, 57th to 51st) in the entire index. The United Arab Emirates is top scorer in the Middle East subregion, while Egypt is the top scorer in North Africa. In 2020, Qatar (43rd) and Tunisia (80th) were most dependent on T&T for GDP.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa (Africa) has had the greatest improvement in TTDI performance since 2019, with 17 out of the 21 regional countries covered by the index increasing their TTDI scores. Nevertheless, the region still lags behind other regions, undermining its great potential as a T&T economy.

Africa’s opportunity for tourism lies in several factors, not least of which are its price competitiveness and potential for nature tourism. However, several obstacles undermine T&T in the region. Government support for the sector could be improved via better data collection and marketing. In particular, nature tourism can be bolstered by higher-quality online promotion and increased focus on environmental sustainability. Additionally, travel to and within the region is hampered by underdeveloped infrastructure and limited international openness. Visitors might also be concerned by the region’s, on average, low health, hygiene, safety and security conditions. Lastly, unfavourable business, human resource and labour markets, and socioeconomic conditions all make T&T operations less viable.

Nevertheless, as already mentioned, many economies in the region are bridging these gaps. For instance, hard transport infrastructure continues to improve as indicated by the more positive perceptions of roads, railways and airports. Additionally, the region’s travel market is bound to benefit from improving international openness, which is bolstered by increasing intra-regional trade integration efforts such as the African Continental Free Trade Area. Africa also had the index’s fastest improvement in ICT readiness, making it easier to provide digital T&T services.

Mauritius (62nd) ranks the highest in the region. However, South Africa (68th) is the largest T&T economy in Africa. Meanwhile, Benin had the greatest improvement in TTDI score (+4.0%, 106th to 103rd) and Tanzania the greatest improvement in ranking (+2.6%, 86th to 81st). The top scorers in Eastern, Southern and Western Africa are Mauritius, South Africa and Cape Verde (82nd), respectively. The latter was also the most dependent of T&T for GDP in 2020.

Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021 Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future

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Publication Author Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021 Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future

Description A direct evolution of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, the new Travel & Tourism Development Index benchmarks and measures “the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the Travel and Tourism (T&T) sector, which in turn contributes to the development of a country”. The 2021 edition of the index highlights the vital need to invest in T&T, the impact of COVID-19 and how sector stakeholders can draw on T&T development strategies to build back better. In particular, amid the current challenges, shifting demand dynamics and future opportunities and risks, a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient sector must be created.

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Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021

W orld Economic Forum published “Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021: Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future”.

A direct evolution of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, the new Travel & Tourism Development Index benchmarks and measures “the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the Travel and Tourism (T&T) sector, which in turn contributes to the development of a country”. The 2021 edition of the index highlights the vital need to invest in T&T, the impact of COVID-19 and how sector stakeholders can draw on T&T development strategies to build back better. In particular, amid the current challenges, shifting demand dynamics and future opportunities and risks, a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient sector must be created.

The report is available for download on the World Economic Forum’s website .

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WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) launched in Davos

The findings of the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) which measures 117 economies on a range of tourism and travel-related indicators and policies, has been published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) today. The WEF describes this addition as an “evolution” to the previous Tourism and Travel Competitiveness Index .

Every two years, the WEF publishes in-depth analysis as well as an index that gives countries a score and overall ranking and serves as a critical benchmarking tool for the T&T sector. Japan topped the ranking this year, with the United States coming in second; Spain third, and the United Kingdom in eighth position.

Bloom Consulting , a member of an advisory group and data partner for the report, believes the outcomes will be highly anticipated by the industry because tourism and travel has changed in unprecedented ways since the publication of the TTDI’s predecessor, the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) 2019.

“The climate crisis, the pandemic and now the outbreak of war in Europe continues to disrupt and impact the recovery of the industry. What made an economy competitive in the past, isn’t necessarily what will make it competitive and sustainable for the future. As such, policies and strategies need to evolve and this report provides much-needed direction,” said Jose Torres, CEO of Bloom Consulting.

See which countries scored in the top 10 of the WEF TTDI.

New criteria for a new era

Economies are measured using five subindexes and 112 individual indicators which covers a range of criteria that takes into account “business, safety and health conditions, infrastructure and natural resources as well as, environmental, socioeconomic and demand pressures”.

This year, criteria used to measure the long-term development drivers of tourism and travel in economies has been updated to reflect the changing market conditions and include a greater focus on sustainability and resilience. SOCIOECONOMIC RESILIENCE AND CONDICTIONS, NON-LEISURE RESOURCES AND T&T DEMAND PRESSURE & IMPACT pillars are all new to the 2021 edition of the TTDI.

“The need for T&T development has never been greater as it plays a critical role in helping the global economic recovery by supporting the livelihoods of some of the populations hardest hit by the pandemic.” WEF

Key outcomes, uneven t&t recovery.

With the accessibility of vaccines in Western countries, strong government spending and an easing of travel restrictions amongst many Western countries, the T&T industry in the developed world is on the road to recovery.

Whilst international arrivals were still 67 per cent below pre-pandemic levels according to the latest outlook from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourist arrivals increased by 4.0 percent in 2021 and numbers in January 2022 rose even further.

While momentum is gathering pace with tourists eager to travel once again, experts say that international arrivals may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024 at the earliest. Countries, for instance, like Australia and New Zealand announced only recently that borders were reopening to international travellers. Further, the unprecedented war in Ukraine has led to increased uncertainty and a rise in the cost of living which may lead to less demand for the travel sector. 

On a global perspective the recovery of the T&T sector “remains slow, uneven and fragile” due to many factors including the limited access to vaccines in emerging and developing economies and an inclination by some tourists to be more sensitive to health and safety conditions, sticking with destinations with widespread vaccination rates and better healthcare services. In many parts of the world, many Covid-related travel restrictions and mask mandates are still in place.

The World Bank predicts that emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) will not return to pre-pandemic tourism activity until after 2023, and 80 percent of tourism reliant EMDEs were below their 2019 economic output at the end of 2021.

Tourism reliant EMDEs face a significant and urgent need to close this gap because their entire economy depends on it. “Investing in T&T could not only mitigate the impact of the pandemic but also improve socioeconomic progress and resilience,” the report said.

Going forward, the T&T sector must work to improve “ the distribution and promotion of natural, cultural and non-leisure assets and activities; the availability of quality transport and tourist service infrastructure; the degree of international openness; and favourable factors such as (increasingly important) ICT readiness and health and hygiene,” the report stressed.

As a result of changing market conditions and increased uncertainty, the public and private sectors are “continuously reviewing their tourism strategies and policies to bolster recovery” whilst the industry overall remains “vulnerable to socioeconomic conditions and global risks”.

Sustainability and resilience:

Climate and other environmental issues are a growing risk for many T&T economies with the report warning the sector is “increasingly tied to their ability to manage and operate under ever greater ecological and environmental threats.” Further, results captured from The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2022 survey confirmed environmental risks represent half of the top 10 global risks.

Even before the pandemic, sustainability issues such as overcrowding, environmental degradation caused by mass tourism, and the liveability for residents in highly visited cities like Amsterdam or Barcelona were mounting. 

Whilst the initial lockdowns in 2020 forced a complete stop to the actions causing environmental pressures, new smarter ways of approaching sustainable growth are needed as the global industry works to recover.

“Economies that have sustainable tourism strategies such as the protection of natural assets, longer stays for tourists and the promotion of less populated areas will have long-term competitive advantages because the whole world is moving, slowly but surely, into more sustainable, less carbon intensive ways of operating. Some of the trends we saw during the pandemic, like the shift to nature trips over cities, we think will stay for the long-term,” Torres said.

Changing dynamics of tourism

The pandemic has created new opportunities and shifted consumer preferences – many  economies will notice and adapt accordingly. According to the UNWTO Panel of Experts, the major trends driving the T&T recovery include “domestic tourism, travel close to home, open-air activities, nature-based products and rural tourism”.

Over the last two years, nature-related segments saw a 20.8 percent average growth in Digital Demand as people flocked to nature destinations, such as parks and mountains, that were safer and more accessible during the pandemic. In fact, some countries in nature-based and rural tourism markets have been able to grow beyond pre-pandemic levels.

Influenced by the restrictions and travel policies during the pandemic domestic travel rose which saw an average spending increase from 50.8 per cent in 2019 to 62.6 per cent in 2020 among economies ranked in the TTDI. Conversely, the business travel segment declined as people moved to zoom and remote work.

“Reading this report demonstrates that the world has changed and what consumers wanted in the past, will not be what they want in the future. It has been a hugely unsettling time but the industry can also look to the opportunities and the new sources of growth that are starting to take shape as outlined in this report. Nation Brands need to focus on these opportunities whilst realising that uncertainty right now is the norm,” Torres said. 

To read the full report visit www.weforum.org . 

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Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024

4. Index results overview

The t&t sector is recovering from the covid-19 pandemic, but many challenges remain and hard work is needed to bridge the gap between developing and high-income economies., section takeaways:.

• Post-pandemic, the T&T sector shows growth, yet index results indicate that recovery is uneven, with challenges persisting in relation to operating conditions.
• Europe and Asia-Pacific regions and high-income economies in particular generally offer more favourable environments for T&T development.
• Developing economies see improving T&T enabling conditions, but substantial efforts are required to bridge the sector’s development gap.

Figure 3: 2024 TTDI performance

Figure 4: 2019–2024 TTDI pillar score percentage change

TTDI results show that while the sector is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, operating conditions remain challenging. Between the 2019 and 2024 editions, 71 out of 119 TTDI-ranked economies progressed past their 2019 scores, but the average index score is just 0.7% above pre-pandemic levels and only 19 economies improved by 3.0% or more. Slow TTDI performance is partly due to diverging pillar trends (Figure 4). Increased pillar scores in Openness to T&T and Natural and Cultural Resources between 2019 and 2024, and Air Transport Infrastructure (+6.6%, 2021 to 2024) reflect a rebound in global T&T demand.

Nevertheless, scores for Air Transport Infrastructure and Tourist Services and Infrastructure are still below 2019 levels, indicating that, despite recent growth, supply factors such as air route capacity, T&T capital investment and productivity have not consistently kept up with climbing demand. The resulting imbalance between T&T demand and supply, combined with continued labour shortages in many countries and broad inflationary pressure, has led to a large average decrease in Price Competitiveness scores. In addition, average scores for Non-Leisure Resources also remain below 2019 levels, highlighting the delayed recovery in global business travel. While climbing average scores for the Environmental Sustainability and T&T Socioeconomic Impact pillars are encouraging for sector sustainability, gains in areas such as reduced emissions may be reversed as sector transport activity grows, while a decreasing 2021 to 2024 score for the T&T Demand Sustainability (-4.7%) pillar also reflects the resurfacing of historical tourism flow challenges associated with the growth in travel, including high seasonality and overcrowding.

The top 30 TTDI scorers accounted for over 75% of T&T industry GDP in 2022 and 70% of GDP growth between 2020 and 2022.

Looking at ranking results, more mature, high-income T&T economies in Europe and Eurasia (Europe) and, to a lesser extent, Asia-Pacific make up most of the top rankings in the 2024 TTDI edition. Among the top 30 scorers, 19 are from Europe, seven from Asia-Pacific, three from the Americas, and one from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region (the United Arab Emirates ). The top 10 ranked economies for the 2024 TTDI are the United States, Spain, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy and Switzerland . T&T sector development in the top-scoring countries typically benefits from factors such as more conducive business environments, access to more dynamic, qualified and resilient labour markets, openness and good ICT readiness. In particular, these countries also tend to have excellent transport and tourism infrastructure and services and a very high concentration of natural, cultural and non-leisure resources and attractions. As a result of these advantages, the top 30 TTDI scorers accounted for over 75% of T&T industry GDP in 2022 and 70% of GDP growth between 2020 and 2022. 7

Figure 5: TTDI score, 2019–2024, percentage change

However, in terms of momentum, it was less mature, low to middle-income economies that exhibited the most significant enhancement in performance since 2019, accounting for 52 out of 71 economies that improved their TTDI scores. Between 2019 and 2024, these economies accounted for much of the above-average improvements in scores in regions such as sub-Saharan (+2.1%) and North Africa (+1.1%), Eurasia (1.7%), South America (+1.2%), South Asia (+1.2%) and the Balkans and Eastern Europe (+1.0%). Saudi Arabia (+5.7%, 50th to 41st) and the United Arab Emirates (+4.4%, 25th to 18th) are the only high-income economies to rank among the top 10 most improved TTDI performers since 2019, with the remaining top 10 consisting of Uzbekistan (+7.8%, 94th to 78th), Côte d’Ivoire (+6.4%, 116th to 114th), Albania (+5.9%, 78th to 66th), Tanzania (+4.5%, 88th to 81st), Indonesia (+4.5%, 36th to 22nd), Egypt (+4.3%, 66th to 61st), Nigeria (+4.2%, 113th to 112th) and El Salvador (+4.0%, 101st to 97th). Moreover, the major emerging T&T economies of Indonesia, Brazil (+3.3%, 34th to 26th) and Türkiye (+3.1%, 37th to 29th) joined China (+1.0%, 9th to 8th) in the top quartile of the TTDI.

However, despite progress, developing economies account for nearly 90% of below-average index scorers. Far more investment will need to be made in areas such as developing favourable business, health and labour conditions, international openness, ICT, transport and tourist infrastructure, and the promotion and development of natural and cultural resources if these economies wish to increase their share of the T&T market and improve their readiness for future risks and opportunities.

In the future, while many of the aforementioned challenges are likely to lessen, if global inflation pressure eases and sector employment, investment and overall capacity grow, uncertainty about the sustainability of travel demand amid unstable macroeconomic and geopolitical conditions may climb. Furthermore, the T&T sector will be under increasing pressure to prepare for and help mitigate growing risks and challenges ranging from the impact of climate change and global conflict to the responsible use of technological innovation. TTDI 2024 results highlight the difficulty policy-makers and business leaders face when it comes to delivering sustainable, inclusive and resilient T&T development.

The Dimension and Regional results sections of this report provide a more detailed picture of the aforementioned trends and index results, while the special focus section highlights some of the ways in which the T&T sector can be leveraged to address future global challenges.

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Japan tops global tourism index for 1st time, despite tight borders

World Economic Forum praises country for wealth of travel infrastructure

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Japan for the first time captured the top spot worldwide in fielding a competitive tourism sector, an index released Tuesday shows, thanks to the country's rich collection of hotels and infrastructure catering to international visitors.

Japan ranked first in the 2021 Travel & Tourism Development Index published by the World Economic Forum, ahead of the U.S., Spain, France and Germany.

Japan begins trial to allow in small foreign tour groups

Japan waives covid entry tests in step toward welcoming tourists, japan to test accepting tourists from singapore, thailand and more, ukraine war tests japan's refugee policy that admits just 1%, japan should lift entry cap, declare covid-19 endemic: keidanren, 'cruel japan': closed borders ignite furor from those shut out, latest on travel & leisure, hokkaido eyes lodging tax as niseko readies its own levy, foreign tourists in japan spending more on experiences: white paper, hondajet launches service to fly tourists to regional japan, sponsored content, about sponsored content this content was commissioned by nikkei's global business bureau..

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Travel & tourism development rank India 2011-2021

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Statistics on " Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom (UK) "

• Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in the UK 2019-2022
• Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by type
• Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by tourist type
• Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in the UK 2019-2022
• Median full-time salary in tourism and hospitality industries in the UK 2023
• CPI inflation rate of travel and tourism services in the UK 2023
• Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2019-2022, by purpose of trip
• Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2019-2022, by number of visits
• Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Number of overnight stays by inbound tourists in the UK 2004-2022
• International tourist spending in the UK 2004-2024
• Leading inbound travel markets for the UK 2019-2023, by spending
• Number of outbound tourist visits from the UK 2007-2023
• Outbound tourism visits from the UK 2019-2022, by purpose
• Leading outbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Number of outbound overnight stays by UK residents 2011-2023
• Outbound tourism expenditure in the UK 2007-2023
• Domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Domestic tourism trips in Great Britain 2018-2022, by purpose
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• Number of tourism day visits in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Total domestic travel expenditure in Great Britain 2019-2022
• Domestic overnight tourism spending in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Expenditure on domestic day trips in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Average spend on domestic summer holidays in the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2023
• Number of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Number of accommodation enterprises in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018-2021, by type
• Turnover of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Turnover of accommodation services in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2021, by sector
• Number of hotel businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Consumer expenditure on accommodation in the UK 2005-2022
• Attitudes towards traveling in the UK 2024
• Travel frequency for private purposes in the UK 2024
• Travel frequency for business purposes in the UK 2024
• Share of Britons taking days of holiday 2019-2023, by number of days
• Share of Britons who did not take any holiday days 2019-2023, by gender
• Share of Britons who did not take any holiday days 2019-2023, by age
• Leading regions for summer staycations in the UK 2024
• Preferred methods to book the next overseas holiday in the UK October 2022, by age
• Travel & Tourism market revenue in the United Kingdom 2018-2028, by segment
• Travel & Tourism market revenue growth in the UK 2019-2028, by segment
• Revenue forecast in selected countries in the Travel & Tourism market in 2024
• Number of users of package holidays in the UK 2018-2028
• Number of users of hotels in the UK 2018-2028
• Number of users of vacation rentals in the UK 2018-2028

Other statistics that may interest you Travel and tourism in the United Kingdom (UK)

• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP in the UK 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by type
• Basic Statistic Distribution of travel and tourism expenditure in the UK 2019-2022, by tourist type
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism's total contribution to employment in the UK 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Median full-time salary in tourism and hospitality industries in the UK 2023
• Premium Statistic CPI inflation rate of travel and tourism services in the UK 2023

Inbound tourism

• Basic Statistic Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2002-2023
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourist visits to the UK 2019-2022, by purpose of trip
• Basic Statistic Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2019-2022, by number of visits
• Premium Statistic Leading inbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Premium Statistic Number of overnight stays by inbound tourists in the UK 2004-2022
• Premium Statistic International tourist spending in the UK 2004-2024
• Premium Statistic Leading inbound travel markets for the UK 2019-2023, by spending
• Premium Statistic Leading UK cities for international tourism 2019-2023, by visits

Outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of outbound tourist visits from the UK 2007-2023
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism visits from the UK 2019-2022, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Leading outbound travel destinations from the UK 2019-2023
• Premium Statistic Leading outbound travel markets in the UK 2023, by growth in travel demand on Google
• Premium Statistic Number of outbound overnight stays by UK residents 2011-2023
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism expenditure in the UK 2007-2023

Domestic tourism

• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Premium Statistic Domestic tourism trips in Great Britain 2018-2022, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic overnight trips in Great Britain 2023, by destination type
• Premium Statistic Number of tourism day visits in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Premium Statistic Total domestic travel expenditure in Great Britain 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Domestic overnight tourism spending in Great Britain 2010-2022
• Premium Statistic Expenditure on domestic day trips in Great Britain 2011-2022
• Premium Statistic Average spend on domestic summer holidays in the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2023
• Premium Statistic Number of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of accommodation enterprises in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018-2021, by type
• Premium Statistic Turnover of accommodation businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Premium Statistic Turnover of accommodation services in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2021, by sector
• Premium Statistic Number of hotel businesses in the United Kingdom (UK) 2008-2021
• Basic Statistic Most popular hotel brands in the UK Q3 2023
• Premium Statistic Consumer expenditure on accommodation in the UK 2005-2022

Travel behavior

• Premium Statistic Attitudes towards traveling in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Travel frequency for private purposes in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Travel frequency for business purposes in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Share of Britons taking days of holiday 2019-2023, by number of days
• Premium Statistic Share of Britons who did not take any holiday days 2019-2023, by gender
• Premium Statistic Share of Britons who did not take any holiday days 2019-2023, by age
• Premium Statistic Leading regions for summer staycations in the UK 2024
• Premium Statistic Preferred methods to book the next overseas holiday in the UK October 2022, by age
• Premium Statistic Travel & Tourism market revenue in the United Kingdom 2018-2028, by segment
• Premium Statistic Travel & Tourism market revenue growth in the UK 2019-2028, by segment
• Premium Statistic Revenue forecast in selected countries in the Travel & Tourism market in 2024
• Premium Statistic Number of users of package holidays in the UK 2018-2028
• Premium Statistic Number of users of hotels in the UK 2018-2028
• Premium Statistic Number of users of vacation rentals in the UK 2018-2028

Further related statistics

• Basic Statistic Contribution of China's travel and tourism industry to GDP 2014-2023
• Premium Statistic Middle Eastern countries with the largest international tourism receipts 2018
• Basic Statistic Growth of inbound spending in the U.S. using foreign visa credit cards
• Premium Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals APAC 2019, by country or region
• Premium Statistic Music tourist spending at concerts and festivals in the United Kingdom (UK) 2012-2016
• Basic Statistic Importance of BRICS countries to UK tourism businesses 2011
• Basic Statistic MorphoSys' research & development expenditure 2006-2023
• Premium Statistic AstraZeneca's expenditure on research and development 2006-2023
• Premium Statistic Operating income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023
• Premium Statistic Net income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023

Further Content: You might find this interesting as well

• Contribution of China's travel and tourism industry to GDP 2014-2023
• Middle Eastern countries with the largest international tourism receipts 2018
• Growth of inbound spending in the U.S. using foreign visa credit cards
• Number of international tourist arrivals APAC 2019, by country or region
• Music tourist spending at concerts and festivals in the United Kingdom (UK) 2012-2016
• Importance of BRICS countries to UK tourism businesses 2011
• MorphoSys' research & development expenditure 2006-2023
• AstraZeneca's expenditure on research and development 2006-2023
• Operating income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023
• Net income of Tripadvisor worldwide 2008-2023

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Travel And Tourism Development Index 2021

• Last Updated : 20-Jan-2023

Findings Of The Report:

The key finding of the index includes:, 1.there has never been a greater need for t&t development, 2. despite challenging operating conditions, the t&t sector has prospects and a need for adaptability due to changing demand dynamics, 3. to assist the industry in improving, t&t development strategies can be used, any suggestions or correction in this article - please click here ( [email protected] ), related posts:, economic development versus economic growth.

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Travel and Tourism Industry News

Stay Connected with TI News and Updates

TI News is the National Travel and Tourism Office’s (NTTO) information service available to all interested stakeholders. Receive E-mail updates from NTTO full of practical information and the latest data and research releases, as well as other valuable information related to international travel to and from the United States.

Recent Travel and Tourism Industry News

March 27, 2024: January 2024 International Inbound Visitor Spending

February 28, 2024: December 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

February 28, 2024: November 2023 Total International Travel Volume

February 5, 2024: ITA Forecasts More than 15% Increase of International Visitors to the United States in 2024

January 18, 2024: December 2023 Air Passenger Travel

January 17, 2024: October 2023 Total International Travel Volume

January 12, 2024: November 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

January 8, 2024: NTTO Publishes Third Quarter 2023 Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT) Inbound Results

December 20, 2023:Alex Lasry Joins ITA as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel & Tourism

December 15, 2023: November 2023 Air Passenger Travel

December 13, 2023: September 2023 Total International Travel Volume

December 12, 2023: America’s Travel Comeback: Five Ways We’re Supporting Our Travel & Tourism Industry

December 7, 2023: October 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

November 20, 2023: October 2023 Air Passenger Travel

November 15, 2023: August 2023 Total International Travel Volume

November 11, 2023: NTTO Publishes 2022 Annual (and 2023 YTD) Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT) Outbound Results

November 9, 2023: September 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

October 23, 2023:  NTTO Publishes Q2 2023 Survey of International Air Travelers Inbound Results  

October 19, 2023: September Air Passenger Travel

October 18, 2023: NTTO Updates on Economic Impact of Travel

October 16, 2023: July 2023 Total International Travel Volume

October 10, 2023: August 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

September 26, 2023: NTTO Updates U.S. States and Cities Visited Monitor to Calendar Year 2022

September 19, 2023: August 2023 International Air Passenger Travel

September 12, 2023: June 2023 Total International Travel Volume

September 7, 2023: July 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

August 21, 2023: July 2023 International Air Passenger Travel

August 17, 2023: NTTO Releases Report on Characteristics of Canadians who Visited by Land in 2022

August 3, 2023: May 2023 Total International Travel Volume

August 1, 2023: April 2023 Total International Travel Volume

July 25, 2023: NTTO Reports Quarterly SIAT Results (Q1 2023) for the First Time

July 18, 2023: June 2023 International Air Passenger Travel

July 17, 2023: May 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

July 6, 2023: March 2023 Total International Travel Volume

June 12, 2023: May 2023 International Air Passenger Travel

June 8, 2023: April 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

June 5, 2023: February 2023 Total International Travel Volume

May 12, 2023: April 2023 International Air Passenger Travel (Coming Soon)

May 9, 2023: March 2023 International Air Passenger Travel

May 5, 2023: March 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

May 4, 2023: New National Travel and Tourism Office Director Named

April 26, 2023: January 2023 Total International Travel Volume

April 11, 2023: February 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

March 16, 2023: February 2023 International Air Passenger Travel

March 15, 2023: January 2023 International Inbound Visitor Spending

March 14, 2023: December and Calendar Year 2022 Total International Travel Volume

February 23, 2023: January 2023 International Air Passenger Travel

February 21, 2023: NTTO Forecasts Over 20% Increase of International Visitors in 2023

February 13, 2023: December 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

February 1, 2023: November 2022 Total International Travel Volume

January 17, 2023: December 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

January 12, 2023: November 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

January 5, 2023: October 2022 Total International Travel Volume

December 15, 2022: November 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

December 13, 2022: October 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

December 8, 2022: September 2022 Total International Travel Volume

November 15, 2022: October 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

November 7, 2022: September 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

November 3, 2022: August 2022 Total International Travel Volume

October 17, 2022: September 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

October 6, 2022: August 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

October 5, 2022: July 2022 Total International Travel Volume

September 13, 2022: August 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

September 8, 2022: July 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

September 1, 2022: June 2022 Total International Travel Volume

August 25, 2022: Accepting Applications for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and the Brand USA Board of Directors

August 24,2022: July 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

August 9, 2022: June 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

August 4, 2022: May 2022 Total International Travel Volume

July 20, 2002: NTTO Releases 2021 Overseas Visitation Statistics and New Data Visualization Tool

July 12, 2022: June 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

July 11, 2022: May 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

June 30, 2022: April 2022 Total International Travel Volume

June 16, 2022: April 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

June 15, 2022: May 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

June 1, 2022: March 2022 Total International Travel Volume

May 18, 2022: April 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

May 16, 2022: NTTO Publishes Three New Fact Sheets on Travel and Tourism

May 4, 2022: March 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

May 2, 2022: February 2022 Total International Travel Volume

April 11, 2022: March 2022 International Air Passenger Travel

April 7, 2022: February 2022 International Inbound Visitor Spending

March 31, 2022: January 2022 Total International Travel Volume

March 16, 2022: NTTO Releases Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT) Outbound Monitor

March 10, 2022: February 2022 International Air Passenger Travel to and From the United States

March 9, 2022: International Visitors Spent $8.2 billion in January 2022

March 8, 2022: 2020 Travel and Tourism Industry Impact on the U.S. Economy

February 2, 2022: New Research from the National Travel and Tourism Office

February 8, 2022: ITA Data Release: December 2021 International Inbound Visitor Spending 

February 9, 2022: ITA Data Release: January 2022 International Air Passenger Travel to and from the United States

August 11: NTTO Launches Two New Data Tools Analyzing International Visitors to the United States  

May 10: A New Way to View International Travel - NTTO’s I-94 Visitor Arrivals Monitors  

April 14: Federal Register Notice Requesting Comments on the Survey of International Air Travelers Program (SIAT)

March 9: National Travel and Tourism Office Launches COVID-19 Monitor

February 17: U.S. Department of Commerce Seeking 2021 Market Development Cooperator Program Proposals

July 17: 2019 Overseas Visitation Estimates, Country Profiles and Spending Available

April 22: 2017 Visitation Estimates, Country Profiles and Spending Available

April 2: U.S. Citizen International Outbound Travel Up Six Percent in 2018  

Modi govt 3.0: Making Incredible India tourism a national priority

A s a first, budgetary allocation for the Union ministry of tourism must be enhanced. A National Tourism Policy must be launched with much fanfare at the earliest. There is need for tourism synergy at the national level, and the government should consider putting tourism on the Concurrent List. An open skies policy and enhanced air connectivity across the country will expedite the intended boost for tourism. 

Visitor experience

The 'visitor experience' in India must be taken to the next orbit. As per Indian travel industry estimates, approximately 200 tourism products provide 80 per cent of the business. We need to focus on these products and make them the best in the world. Let us make 'Incredible India' speak for itself—a safe, clean and transformational experience. Enhance connectivity and facilities at tourist destinations, including better roads, airports and public amenities, to provide seamless travel and showcase India as an emerging global power. 

We must leverage our rich cultural, natural and historical heritage, identify 100 new tourism products, and develop them to international standards in a sustainable manner while being mindful of the carrying capacity. As an example, the Harappan site Dholavira near the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat could be developed into an international tourism hub.

The Himalayan region has huge potential for adventure tourism, which must be developed in a sustainable manner. Expediting the mega trails for trekking and adventure in the Himalayan region and the Ganga nature and heritage trail will be game changers. After 'Swachh Bharat', 'Surakshit Bharat' is the way forward. India must become the safest place in the world for travellers, especially women. 

Ease of travel

India must become a 'hassle-free travel experience'. Our online visa process needs an urgent review.  The government could consider offering visa-on-arrival facilities and shortening of processing time. This will attract more international tourists. The governments of Thailand and Sri Lanka have recently waived visa fees for Indian tourists. To expedite the post-pandemic recovery of the sector, the government could consider free visa on arrival for tourists from the top 10 source countries and top 10 emerging countries for the next three years. Entry and exit from India, safety and security of travellers, road, rail and air travel infrastructure, and health and hygiene have to add up to make 'Incredible India' a seamless travel experience. 

WEF ranking

India's ranking in the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Development Index has improved to 39 in 2024, from 54 in 2021. While our natural, cultural and non-leisure resources are ranked in the first 10, India must endeavour to be among the top 10 on the index by 2030. The ranking is based on five dimensions, 17 pillars and 102 indicators, and we must focus on each of these to create a world-class tourism experience. Skill development, capacity building, digital transformation, leveraging technology and focused masterplans for niche tourism segments, such as adventure, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events), wellness, cruise, heritage, wildlife, medical, and special interest tourism, are critical. 

Major promotion

The Incredible India campaign needs a makeover, besides a global launch of Incredible India 2.0. Major tourism promotion in our missions abroad, appointing marketing agencies, reopening our overseas tourism promotion offices, focus on tourism promotion in 20 key source markets and 10 emerging markets, digital marketing, electronic media promotion, roadshows, marketing incentives for tourism MSMEs and support for tourism promotion must be high-priority areas. 

Sustainable tourism

The tourism ministry has set up the National Board for Sustainable Tourism. Sustainable practices in tourism, carrying capacity determination, and implementation of policies that promote eco-friendly tourism in order to protect natural and cultural heritage while ensuring long-term viability of tourism destinations must be a priority. The government should encourage tourism enterprises to adopt sustainable practices, offer incentives for eco-friendly initiatives and enforce environmental regulations. Government initiatives, such as the Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India and Travel for LiFE, must be promoted.

Miles to go

Streamlining and simplifying regulatory processes at the national and state levels will significantly enhance ease of doing business, policy consistency, easier access to finance, creating a nurturing and supportive ecosystem for tourism MSMEs, simplifying taxation, providing data and insights, digital transformation of the tourism sector, a resolute crisis management mechanism, infrastructure and incentives for rural tourism, tourism to border areas and vibrant villages.

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Spiritual Tourism in India Gives Boost to These 7 Emerging Cities

Bulbul Dhawan , Skift

June 24th, 2024 at 7:47 AM EDT

Hotel companies are betting big on the smaller towns in India. With spiritual tourism accounting for 60% of the domestic tourism, the segment is likely to drive the growth in the Indian hospitality industry for the next few years.

Bulbul Dhawan

Spiritual tourism will help develop more tourism-related infrastructure in emerging cities in India, according to a report by real estate services firm Colliers.

In its latest report, Colliers identified 7 emerging cities, all religious hubs, where hospitality is set to drive real estate growth: Amritsar in Punjab; Ayodhya and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh; Dwarka in Gujarat; Puri in Odisha; Shirdi in Maharashtra; and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. 

The report highlighted that spiritual tourism is set to be a major growth driver for the development of several temple towns in India, thanks to government policy support and infrastructure developments.

The improvements in infrastructure, such as upgraded roads, flagship trains, and new airports, are expected to attract real estate investors to these spiritual destinations.

Smaller towns are emerging as dynamic contributors to India’s economy, driven by improved infrastructure, affordable real estate, skilled talent, and government initiatives, said Colliers India CEO Badal Yagnik. “Significant momentum is expected across residential, commercial, retail, hospitality, and industrial segments,” he said.

How Religious Travel Powers India’s Tourism

In the 2022-2023 financial year, the travel and tourism industry contributed about $199 billion to India’s GDP. The Colliers report revealed that spiritual tourism holds a 30% market share in the country’s travel and tourism sector and accounts for 60% of the domestic tourism market.

Data from India’s Ministry of Tourism showed that in 2022, over 1.4 billion tourists visited religious sites across the country. These places of religious tourism generated INR 1,340 billion (over $16 billion) during the year.

Destinations like Ayodhya and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh have seen significant upgrades to better accommodate tourists. In a recent interview with Skift , Preeti Srivastava, the tourism deputy director in Uttar Pradesh, mentioned that the state’s tourism industry has been transformed following the inauguration of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor for visitor management in Varanasi in December 2021.

Spiritual Tourism and Hospitality Development

Spiritual destinations in India have been witnessing significant investment by hotel companies. Some of these cities include:

• Ayodhya is looking at an annual footfall of 23 million, and a report by brokerage firm Jeffries estimates that it could attract over 50 million tourists annually. Due to its recent development, the land value appreciation in 2024 as compared to 2019 is expected to be over 100%. However, it has a low hospitality sector presence currently, as most projects are under development. 
• In January, Radisson Hotel Group opened Park Inn by Radisson in Ayodhya, with another project under development. Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) also signed two hotels in the city under the Ginger and Vivanta brands last year, while a third one under the IHCL SeleQtions brand was signed this year. Lemon Tree Hotels is planning a 200-key hotel in Ayodhya, while a hotel under Wyndham’s Ramada Encore brand has been signed. 
• According to the Colliers report, Amritsar has been witnessing an annual footfall of 30 million. This has resulted in the city having a high presence of branded hotels in the city. 
• Last year, Marriott opened a Le Meridien hotel in Amritsar, while in December.
• IHG Hotels announced the signing of a new voco hotel in the city.
• Home to the holiest temple in Sikh faith — Golden Temple — the city also marked the entry of the Trademark Collection by Wyndham brand in India earlier this year.
• Accor is also set to open a Grand Mercure-branded property in the city. 
• Varanasi, post its upgrade, has had a significant increase in tourists. According to Srivastava, after the inauguration of the Kashi-Vishwanath corridor, a total of more than 130 million tourists visited the pilgrim city in 2022 and 2023.
• Last month, IHCL signed its fourth hotel in city under its budget brand Ginger.
• Wyndham Hotels opened a Ramada Plaza in the city last year,
• Hilton Opened DoubleTree by Hilton in Varanasi in September 2023. 

Government Boost to Spiritual Tourism

The report said that the focus by the government on spiritual tourism is boosting this segment. “Given the latent potential, the segment’s market size grew from $44 billion in 2020 to about $60 billion in 2023,” it said, adding that the segment is expected to grow 9-10% annually to reach $130 billion by 2032. 

Recent government schemes including Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (Prashad) and Swadesh Darshan 2.0 – to develop sustainable destinations – has led to an increase in tourist-friendly pilgrimage destinations. 

“Various government initiatives in recent years have also uplifted the infrastructure and real estate market of select spiritually inclined tourist destinations,” the report said. 

The government has replicated the upgradation of Varanasi in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh for the Mahakaleshwar Temple, and is now looking to uplift Mathura . This has led to a more systematic tourist flow in these destinations, creating the potential for better tourist management. Madhya Pradesh tourism is considering implementing a tourist registration system to tackle overcrowding and overtourism. 

There has also been a boost in aviation sector for spiritual tourism destinations as the number of airports have doubled over the past 10 years. Airports have come up in smaller cities such as Shirdi in Maharashtra and Kushinagar in Bihar for devotees.

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Many African Nations Want France Out. This Country Wants It In.

France is facing deep anticolonial resentment across Africa, but has found a partner in Rwanda, which is embracing French influence despite years of acrimony.

By Abdi Latif Dahir

Photographs by Guillem Sartorio

Reporting from Kigali, Rwanda

After decades of wielding political, military and economic power across Africa, France is scaling back its presence on the continent as it faces significant resentment in many African countries. Yet one nation has emerged as an exception: Rwanda.

As other African nations seek to reduce France’s influence , Rwanda is embracing it, celebrating French culture, language and food, despite decades of frosty relations with Paris over its role in the 1994 Rwanda genocide . In return, French companies are scaling up their investments in Rwanda.

The détente, which is being championed by Rwanda’s longtime leader, Paul Kagame , has garnered France a much-needed security partner in Africa and secured Rwanda millions of dollars in development and trade funds. The warming relations are also rare good news for the French president, Emmanuel Macron, who has faced a wave of indignation across Africa and was crushed by the far right in the European parliamentary elections this month.

“We have a partner in Kagame,” Hervé Berville, a French minister of state, said in an interview in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

“It’s really the beginning of a new chapter,” said Mr. Berville, who was born in Rwanda, adopted by a French family during the genocide and grew up in France .

For decades, diplomatic rancor and hostility characterized relations between the two countries. Mr. Kagame accused France, and especially the government of François Mitterrand, then president, of enabling the Rwandan officials who oversaw the 1994 genocide, in which an estimated 800,000 people were slaughtered.

The relationship frayed so much in the early 2000s that Rwanda abandoned French for English in classrooms, expelled the French ambassador, shuttered the French international school and cultural center, and blocked the French state radio broadcaster.

But events began to shift when Mr. Macron came to power. In 2021, a report he commissioned concluded that, while France was not complicit in the genocide, it bore “serious and overwhelming” responsibility for it. Rwanda published its own report weeks later and accused Paris of providing “unwavering support” to the government that carried out the genocide in order to maintain its own influence.

Mr. Macron visited Rwanda soon after the reports were released, beginning a cascade of events that brought about the rapprochement between the countries.

By mid-2021, France had appointed a new ambassador to Rwanda. The French Development Agency inaugurated a new office in Kigali. France donated hundreds of thousands of doses of Covid vaccine during the pandemic.

French conglomerates poured in millions of dollars in investments in real estate, technology, entertainment and tourism. Last month leaders from more than 50 French companies attended the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, French officials said. Some of them, including the head of TotalEnergies, personally met with Mr. Kagame .

In Rwanda, French has been reintroduced in schools. Mr. Macron opened a newly built French cultural center. Young Rwandans now dine in restaurants offering French cuisine. Rwandan artists and fashion designers perform and exhibit their works at major French cultural institutions.

“Everywhere you look, there’s French and France,” said Mashauri Muhindo Memcan, a teacher in Kigali. A few years ago, he was the only French-language instructor at his school, he said, but he now leads a growing department with six French-language teachers.

For France, the new engagement with Rwanda reflects Mr. Macron’s efforts to find allies and business partners on a continent where rival nations like China and Russia are vying for influence .

But it’s also aimed at engaging the younger generations in conversations about the past, so as to “avoid a repetition,” said Mr. Berville, the French minister. “We need to be vigilant,” he told a group of French and Rwandan students in Kigali on a recent afternoon, wearing a dark tie over a white shirt, à la Macron .

Despite the warming ties, the two countries still have disagreements.

France has accused Rwanda of supporting rebel fighters wreaking havoc in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, which Kigali has long denied.

Rwanda still takes umbrage at the fact that France has not claimed more responsibility for the genocide. Those tensions surfaced during the 30th anniversary of the genocide in April, when Mr. Macron backpedaled on acknowledging France’s failure to halt the genocide.

But Rwanda and France have solidified their defense cooperation, even as French troops have been expelled from several African countries, including Mali , Niger and Burkina Faso .

Though small in size, Rwanda has used its military to leverage its influence internationally, particularly through peacekeeping missions. And France, wary of another military intervention, has looked to Rwanda as an alternative to deploying troops on African soil, said Federico Donelli, a professor of international relations at the University of Trieste, who has written extensively about Rwanda’s military.

This was the case in Mozambique, where France backed the deployment of Rwandan troops to fight an insurgency in Cabo Delgado Province . The region is home to a multibillion-dollar gas project owned by TotalEnergies of France.

France also promoted Rwanda’s involvement in Mozambique at the European Union, Mr. Donelli said. The bloc funded Rwanda’s mission to the tune of 20 million euros, or $21.4 million.

“France sees Rwanda as a perfect partner in its new African agenda,” Mr. Donelli added. “Paris’s political costs, both domestic and continental, are lower. And Kigali stands to gain both a good reputation and economic benefits.”

Beyond security, France has increased its development funding to the landlocked nation. The French development agency has spent half a billion euros creating jobs and renovating health facilities. In April, the two countries signed a development partnership valued at 400 million euros, or about $429 million.

France is also paying for vocational training for thousands of Rwandan college students in disciplines including mechatronics, a hybrid field that combines mechanics and electronics.

On a recent morning, several French officials toured a college that France funded and built in Tumba, a town about 20 miles northwest of Kigali. Students there huddled in classes and laboratories studying industrial automation and working up robotic systems.

“There’s a willingness in Rwanda to change, improve and even build systems that could benefit the wider Africa,” said Arthur Germond, the Rwanda country director for the French development agency, who led the tour. “We want to help that vision.”

For some Rwandans, the shifting relations augur new opportunities.

For years, Hervé Kimenyi, a comedian, refrained from performing in French as Rwanda pivoted away from the language and his audiences dwindled. But with relations improving, he is now setting up a comedy club that will feature standup, poetry and music exclusively in French.

By doing so, he said, he hopes to reach both older and younger Rwandans but also French-speaking students and professionals from elsewhere on the continent, mostly West Africa, who now call Rwanda home.

For Mr. Berville, the French minister, strengthening relations with Rwanda will entail working on challenges facing both nations, such as climate change. But it will also involve France’s taking active measures to reckon with the past, including trying genocide suspects still living in France .

That’s the only way to make improving relations “irreversible,” no matter who succeeds Mr. Macron in the next French election, Mr. Berville said. “Words are good,” he said, “but actions are better.”

Abdi Latif Dahir is the East Africa correspondent for The Times, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He covers a broad range of issues including geopolitics, business, society and arts. More about Abdi Latif Dahir

It’s been a record-setting year for global travel – here’s how we make tourism inclusive and sustainable

Inclusive and sustainable travel and tourism includes supporting micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses. Image:  Unsplash/Michael Barón

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Nicola Villa

.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}} Get involved .chakra .wef-9dduvl{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-9dduvl{font-size:1.125rem;}} with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

• The global travel sector is experiencing a robust recovery, with tourists increasingly spending more on travel.
• Despite the overall positive outlook, some destinations struggle with operational challenges, including workforce issues and resource management amid rising tourist numbers and environmental concerns.
• The travel and tourism sector’s potential for advancing socio-economic prosperity is particularly impactful through the support of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises.

The global travel sector forecast is in and it's sunny skies ahead. Through March 2024, consumer spending on travel remains strong, and passenger traffic has soared. Empowered by a strong labour market worldwide, tourists will be on the roads, air and seas once again, with more of people’s budgets on travel.

The latest report from the Mastercard Economics Institute, Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries , reveals that 2024 has already witnessed multiple record-setting days as consumer spending on leisure travel remains strong. The data shows that post-pandemic travellers continue to seek unique experiences rooted in local cultures while increasingly prioritizing spending on memorable events across sports, music and festivals.

The Mastercard Economics Institute’s analysis reveals that travellers also seek opportunities to extend their stays, prioritizing leisure for longer. For the first 12 months between March 2019 and February 2020, a trip’s average length of stay was about four days. As of March 2024, the average length of a leisure trip has edged closer to five days, which translates into an economic boost for the destinations and communities hosting them.

Have you read?

These are the top 10 countries for travel and tourism, what is travel and tourism’s role in future global prosperity, travel & tourism development index 2024, tackling tourism’s challenges.

Yet, while the overall outlook for travellers looks bright, that’s not the case for all destinations. Some tourism hotspots and lesser-known locales are facing growing challenges around operating conditions. The World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024 highlights the ongoing constraints facing the global travel and tourism sector – including the lack of investment in skilled and resilient workforces and issues around resource management – cultural and natural – as destinations grapple with higher tourist visitor numbers and rising environmental concerns.

The report offers travel and tourism decision-makers recommendations around how the sector can take a more active role in tackling social challenges across socio-economic prosperity, peace and cultural exchange. As the industry accounts for approximately one-tenth of global gross domestic product and employment , the public and private sectors must work together to ensure future tourism development is, first and foremost, inclusive and sustainable.

Supporting the backbone of travel and tourism

As the TTDI 2024 notes, one area where the sector’s potential in advancing socio-economic prosperity can be particularly impactful is in the economic empowerment of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, more than 80% of travel and tourism businesses fall under this category.

Policies and investments promoting the adoption of digital solutions and enhancing digital skills development while improving access to credit can provide a major boost to tourism-focused MSMEs.

In Costa Rica, the Instituto Costariccense de Turismo, a member of Mastercard’s Tourism Innovation Hub , is championing such an approach to ensure increased tourist traffic results in better opportunities for MSMEs. Last year, the institute launched Tico Treasures , a platform facilitating tourist connections with Costa Rica’s Crafts with Identity programme, a group of 17 artisan collectives across the country. The platform allows visitors to discover local Costa Rican products, learn about artisan communities and then purchase and ship the goods back to their home country – all through one experience.

The programme is an example of public-private collaboration, including backing from Correos de Costa Rica, Banco de Costa Rica and the Instituto Costariccense de Turismo. Its objectives are multifold: delivering more authentic experiences for tourists, expanding citizens’ access to the digital economy and contributing to MSME resilience.

Protecting future environments

There are also novel approaches to solving destinations’ sustainability challenges underway. A key role of the Travel Foundation , a global non-government organization, is to facilitate innovative public-private collaborations in tourism that accelerate and scale sustainable solutions. One notable example is in Scotland, where the national tourism organization VisitScotland is partnering with the Travel Corporation, a global tour operator, to help decarbonize the destination supply chain. Both organizations are pooling their insights, data and expertise to support local businesses, develop new ideas for reducing carbon footprints and identify barriers to a green transition.

The learnings from this and other projects led by the Travel Foundation will be shared to influence future policy, investment and product development decisions at national and global levels. By combining public sector resources and capabilities with private sector technological expertise, travel and tourism decision-makers can enact policies and programmes that balance tourism growth with environmental protection, providing a nuanced approach that works for unique destinations.

It’s an important time for the sector – to leverage travel and tourism’s robust recovery and advance socio-economic prosperity, fuelling a more inclusive future for our treasured destinations. By accelerating collaboration between governments, destination management organizations and technology companies, we can ensure destinations, the communities that power them and the environments they inhabit are at the heart of all future tourism development.

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Travel & Tourism Development Index 2021: Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future

5. Regional results

The Europe and Eurasia and Asia-Pacific regions dominate the index ranking, while sub-Saharan Africa showed the greatest improvement in performance.

Figure 13: Regional TTDI 2021 performance distribution

Overall, the Europe and Eurasia (Europe) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions dominate the TTDI ranking (9.0% and 4.9% above the TTDI average, respectively). However, Europe is the only region to have decreased its average score since 2019 (just -0.5%), very slightly eroding its considerable lead. On the other hand, the sub-Saharan Africa (Africa) region had the greatest improvement in performance (+1.1%), but far more needs to be done for economies in the region to catch up with the global average (-18.4% below TTDI average). The Americas and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions also underperform the global average (-3.1% and -2.8% below TTDI average). Nonetheless, the Americas region has marginally gained in its score (+0.6%), while MENA has remained relatively stable as its improvement (+0.1%) was in line with overall global performance.

The section below provides additional analysis of each region and highlights the top performers or interesting results. It is important to note that regions are often composed of a wide variety of economies at different levels of development. Therefore, the quantitative results may not reflect some of these more nuanced realities. For a more in-depth visualization of regional data, please click here .

The Americas

While 13 out of the 21 Americas economies covered in the TTDI have improved their score since 2019, the region as a whole still performs below the TTDI average, with just under half of the 21 economies scoring above the mean. One of the most defining aspects of the region’s T&T is its rich endowment of nature. More than half of its economies score above the TTDI average for the Natural Resources pillar, nine are in the top 20 performers and five (in order of pillar scoring, Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Canada and Colombia) among the top 10. These five, and a few others, also possess above-average cultural and non-leisure resources. On average, the region’s economies also have above-average tourist service infrastructure, price competitiveness and prioritization of T&T, although this varies greatly between constituent countries.

On the other hand, the region’s T&T sector faces many challenges, not least unfavourable enabling environments and, in particular, often poor business (especially outside of high-income economies) and safety and security conditions. In fact, half of the 20 lowest-ranking economies for safety and security globally come from Latin America. The region’s less developed economies require significant investment in mobility services and infrastructure, especially for ground transport, and a noticeable need to enhance international openness. The majority of economies in the Americas also need to tackle socioeconomic resilience and environmental sustainability issues.

The United States is the region’s top TTDI scorer (2nd) and accounts for the vast majority of the region’s T&T GDP. Outside of the United States, Canada (13th), Mexico (40th), Brazil (49th) and Argentina (59th) account for much of the remaining T&T GDP. Chile (34th) stands out as the top performer in South America, while Uruguay , which was the most T&T-dependent economy in the region in 2020, experienced the fastest rate of improvement (+3.6%, 61st to 55th).

Asia-Pacific

The APAC region is the second-highest performer in the ranking. Of its 20 constituent economies, 12 score above the TTDI average and 13 have improved their score since 2019.

The region is large and diverse. It is home to some of the best combinations of natural, cultural and non-leisure resources, but environmental sustainability challenges threaten its lead in the former. Many of the more developed economies in APAC have world-class transport, tourism, healthcare and ICT infrastructure, high levels of international openness and investment in T&T, conducive business environments, high performance for socioeconomic resilience and qualified and productive workforces. On the other hand, the region’s less developed economies’ advantage in price competitiveness and rich natural assets are often offset by gaps in the aforementioned factors such as tourism, healthcare and ICT infrastructure, international openness and socioeconomic resilience. However, these gaps are being bridged somewhat as APAC’s lower- middle-income economies have improved their performance, with particularly strong growth in areas such as ICT readiness.

As mentioned, Japan is the top performer in both the APAC region and globally, with Australia (7th) and Singapore (9th) ranking in the global top 10. However, it is lower-middle-income economies such as Viet Nam (+4.7%, 60th to 52nd), Indonesia (+3.4%, 44th to 32nd) and Pakistan (+2.9%, 89th to 83rd) that have improved their TTDI scores the most since 2019. China, which ranks 12th on the TTDI, has the region’s largest T&T economy, while the Philippines, which depended the most on T&T for its GDP in 2020, ranks 75th. Although Japan and Singapore lead the ranking in the Eastern APAC and South-East Asia subregions, respectively, India (54th) is the top scorer in South Asia.

Europe and Eurasia

Europe remains the TTDI’s top-performing region, surpassing the global average in most pillars and being among the best positioned to grow in the coming years. Of the 43 regional economies covered in the index, 32 score above the global average and 18 have improved their score since 2019.

As a global economic and cultural centre, the region boasts some of the highest scores for cultural and non-leisure resources, travel to which is bolstered by, on average, a high degree of international openness and quality infrastructure, including the best ground and tourist service infrastructure. Operating in the region is also made easier by leading ICT and healthcare infrastructure and favourable business, security, human resource and labour markets, and socioeconomic conditions. Advantages in many of these categories are especially concentrated in the more economically developed Western, Southern and Northern Europe subregions. Moreover, the region’s international openness is based around members of the European Union and Schengen Area (the 26 European countries that have abolished passport control etc. on their mutual borders).

Countries in the Eurasia and Balkans and Eastern Europe subregions tend to be more price- competitive compared to their expensive western neighbours, while more tourism-dependent southern European states stand out for their prioritization of T&T, tourism infrastructure and natural resources. Overall, European economies do better than most in environmental sustainability, but they often have more limited natural resources, resulting in some of the lower marks for the T&T Demand Pressure and Impact pillar, which includes signs of unsustainable demand such as high rates of seasonality and shorter visitor stays.

Spain ranks highest in the region (3rd). However, France (4th), Germany (5th), Switzerland (6th), the United Kingdom (8th) and Italy (10th) all rank among the top 10 on the index. In 2020, Croatia (46th) and Albania (72nd) were most dependent on T&T for GDP, while Germany has the largest T&T economy.

Middle East and North Africa

While the MENA region underperforms the global TTDI average, results vary greatly based on the subregion and economic level of development. Overall, the region scores above average in eight pillars, with half of the dozen economies covered by the index scoring above average.

MENA’s high-income economies, all of which are based in the Middle East subregion, are typically defined by top-notch air transport, a significant presence of non-leisure resources such as major corporations, and overall favourable enabling environments, including business and human resource and labour markets and good ICT-readiness. On the other hand, North African economies, all of which are lower-middle- income, have gaps in air, tourist, health and ICT infrastructure and access to qualified labour. Yet they lead the region in price competitiveness and tend to prioritize and devote relatively more resources to T&T. To further develop their T&T sector, many MENA countries need to increase their international openness, invest more in ground services and tourist infrastructure and focus on promoting and establishing cultural and, in particular, natural attractions. The latter task will be hard to achieve without improving the region’s challenging environmental sustainability situation. Moreover, the region can significantly improve its skilled labour availability and resilience by addressing socioeconomic issues such as lagging social protection coverage, youth employment and training, workers’ rights and opportunities for women and minority groups.

The United Arab Emirates (25th) is the best TTDI performer in the region. However, since 2019, Saudi Arabia , which has the largest T&T economy in the region, has had the biggest leap in the rankings (+2.3%, 43rd to 33rd), while Egypt has had the second greatest percentage improvement (+4.3%, 57th to 51st) in the entire index. The United Arab Emirates is top scorer in the Middle East subregion, while Egypt is the top scorer in North Africa. In 2020, Qatar (43rd) and Tunisia (80th) were most dependent on T&T for GDP.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa (Africa) has had the greatest improvement in TTDI performance since 2019, with 17 out of the 21 regional countries covered by the index increasing their TTDI scores. Nevertheless, the region still lags behind other regions, undermining its great potential as a T&T economy.

Africa’s opportunity for tourism lies in several factors, not least of which are its price competitiveness and potential for nature tourism. However, several obstacles undermine T&T in the region. Government support for the sector could be improved via better data collection and marketing. In particular, nature tourism can be bolstered by higher-quality online promotion and increased focus on environmental sustainability. Additionally, travel to and within the region is hampered by underdeveloped infrastructure and limited international openness. Visitors might also be concerned by the region’s, on average, low health, hygiene, safety and security conditions. Lastly, unfavourable business, human resource and labour markets, and socioeconomic conditions all make T&T operations less viable.

Nevertheless, as already mentioned, many economies in the region are bridging these gaps. For instance, hard transport infrastructure continues to improve as indicated by the more positive perceptions of roads, railways and airports. Additionally, the region’s travel market is bound to benefit from improving international openness, which is bolstered by increasing intra-regional trade integration efforts such as the African Continental Free Trade Area. Africa also had the index’s fastest improvement in ICT readiness, making it easier to provide digital T&T services.

Mauritius (62nd) ranks the highest in the region. However, South Africa (68th) is the largest T&T economy in Africa. Meanwhile, Benin had the greatest improvement in TTDI score (+4.0%, 106th to 103rd) and Tanzania the greatest improvement in ranking (+2.6%, 86th to 81st). The top scorers in Eastern, Southern and Western Africa are Mauritius, South Africa and Cape Verde (82nd), respectively. The latter was also the most dependent of T&T for GDP in 2020.