India Ranks 39th In World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024

India's rank on the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 has risen to 39th place as global tourism returns to pre-pandemic levels, according to the annual report released on Tuesday.

The US topped the list, with India ranking highest in South Asia and among lower-middle-income economies. In the 2021 index, India was ranked 54th, though changes to index parameters limit comparability with earlier years. Following the US, the top five countries in the 2024 list are Spain, Japan, France, and Australia.

The index, prepared in collaboration with the University of Surrey, shows India is highly price-competitive (18th) and has strong Air Transport (26th) and Ground and Port (25th) infrastructure. India's strong Natural (6th), Cultural (9th), and Non-Leisure (9th) Resources are key drivers of travel, making it one of only three countries to score in the top 10 for all resource pillars.

A Stronger Position

Despite a decline compared to 2019, India still scores well for travel and tourism demand sustainability, partly due to longer, more sustainable stays among inbound visitors. However, global inflationary trends have affected travel and tourism conditions in India, with price competitiveness declining and air transport and tourist services infrastructure yet to recover to 2019 levels. Consequently, India's overall TTDI (Travel and Tourism Development Index) score is 2.1 per cent below its 2019 level.

High-income economies in Europe and Asia-Pacific continue to lead the index. The WEF noted that international tourist arrivals and the travel and tourism sector's contribution to global GDP are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, driven by the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions and strong demand.

The Middle East had the highest recovery rates in international tourist arrivals, exceeding 2019 levels by 20 per cent, while Europe, Africa, and the Americas showed a strong recovery of around 90 per cent in 2023.

The biennial index analyzed the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries, assessing a range of factors and policies. Germany ranked 6th, followed by the UK, China, Italy, and Switzerland in the top ten. The results highlighted that high-income economies generally have more favourable conditions for travel and tourism development, supported by good business environments, dynamic labour markets, open travel policies, strong transport and tourism infrastructure, and well-developed natural, cultural, and non-leisure attractions.