India Emerges as Biggest Improver in Global Tourism, Jumps Six Places on WEF Report

New Delhi: India has emerged as the best improver among top performers in global tourism, jumping from 40th to 34th position in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) Report 2019 published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). In doing so, it became the only lower-middle-income country in the top 35 countries on the list.
The report had placed India at 52nd and 40th in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

According to the report, India remains South Asia’s most competitive travel and tourism economy. It found that the country had improved in aspects like air (33rd), ground and port infrastructure (28th), international openness (51st), natural resources (14th) and cultural resources (8th).

Further, the report found India to have also greatly improved in areas like business environment (39th), overall travel and tourism policy (69th), infrastructure (55th) and ICT Development Index readiness (105th).

The report also identified price competitiveness (13th) as an area which India can add to its strengths. However, it also said that the country needs to improve vastly in enabling environment (98th), tourist service infrastructure (109th) and environmental sustainability (128th).

The report, which ranks 140 countries on the basis of their strengths in global tourism and travel, was topped by Spain, which held on to its spot from 2017. It was followed by France, Germany, Japan, US, UK, Australia, Italy, Canada and Switzerland, in that order.

Source: India

Image Courtesy: Volunteers India