India drops eight ranks on travel, tourism index; still in top South Asia list

India’s place dropped eight ranks to 54 from 46 in 2019 in a global travel and tourism development index, but still remained on the top within South Asia.

The World Economic Forum's biennial travel and tourism study also showed a recovering sector following pandemic lows
The World Economic Forum’s biennial travel and tourism study also showed a recovering sector following pandemic lows. Photo: Connected to India

Japan has topped the global charts, followed by the US, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austraila, UK, Singapore and Italy in the top ten.

The World Economic Forum’s biennial travel and tourism study also showed a recovering sector following pandemic lows, though the recovery has been uneven and challenges remain.

The Travel and Tourism Development Index assesses 117 economies, identifying key factors in enabling the sustainable and resilient growth of travel and tourism economies.

COVID- shutdowns have re-emphasised the important contribution travel and tourism makes to many economies around the world,” Lauren Uppink, Head of Aviation, Travel and Tourism at the World Economic Forum, said.

“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,” Ms Uppink added.

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, WEF said.

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