India ranks 40th in Travel and Tourism Competitive Index of World Economic Forum

The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) 2017 was released on 5 April 2017 by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

India was ranked 40th among the 136 economies across the world in the Index. The position of India has improved over 52nd rank in 2015 and 65th in 2013.

Top 10 countries in the Index

Key highlights of the Travel and Tourism Competitive Index

• The Report was published under the theme “Paving the Way for a More Sustainable and Inclusive Future.”

• Spain tops the 2017 edition of the TTCI global rankings for the second time, followed by France and Germany.

• Europe and Eurasia is once again the region with the strongest overall T&T competitiveness performance, with six economies in the top 10.

• The Americas is the macro region with the second most improved performance at the aggregate level, with the United States (6th), Canada (9th), Mexico (22nd) and Brazil (27th) all ranking in the top 30.

• Asia-Pacific consists of some of the economies that have flourished most in recent years and five out of the 15 most-improved countries in the index: Japan (4th), Korea (19th), India (40th), Vietnam (67th) and Bhutan (78th).

• The Travel and Tourism competitiveness is improving, especially in developing countries, and particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.

India in the report

• India is one of the most improved nations, gaining 12 places to reach the 40th position globally.

• India has seen continued growth in international arrivals over the past 15 years, reaching the 8 million mark in 2015.

• The country continues to charm international tourists with its vast cultural and natural resources, and its price competitiveness advantage.

• It continues to enrich its cultural resources, protecting more cultural sites and intangible expressions through UNESCO World Heritage lists, and via a greater digital presence.

• International openness, through stronger visa policies implementing both visas on arrival and e-visas, has enabled India to rise through the ranks.