India ranked 34th on world travel and tourism competitiveness index
India has moved up six places to rank 34th on world travel and tourism competitiveness index, driven by rich natural and cultural resources and strong price competitiveness, as per World Economic Forum’s report.
India’s ranking improved from 40th to 34th, the greatest improvement over 2017 among the top 25 per cent of all countries ranked in the report.
“India, which accounts for the majority of South Asia’s Travel and tourism GDP, remains the sub-region’s most competitive Travel and tourism economy, moving up six places to rank 34th globally,” the report said.
As per the report, China, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil and India that are not high-income economies but rank in the top 35 in the overall list. They stand out in the Cultural Resources and Business Travel Pillar through their combination of rich natural and cultural resources and strong price competitiveness.
“India showed the greatest percentage improvement to its overall Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index score, which has helped it become the only lower-middle income country in the top 35,” the report said and lauded its natural and cultural assets and price competitiveness. India ranked 34th on world travel and tourism competitiveness index
From a sub-regional perspective, the nation (India) has better air infrastructure (33rd) and ground and port infrastructure (28th), international openness (51st) and natural (14th) and cultural resources (8th). Compared to global benchmarks, the country can also add price competitiveness (13th) to its roster of strengths, the report noted.
“India also greatly improved its business environment (89th to 39th), overall Travel & tourism policy and enabling conditions (79th to 69th), infrastructure (58th to 55th) and information and communications technology readiness (112th to 105th),” it noted.
However, India still needs to enhance its enabling environment (98th), tourist service infrastructure (109th) and environmental sustainability (128th), the report said.
The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, that covered 140 economies, measures the set of factors and policies that enable sustainable development of travel and tourism sector which contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country. Spain held on to the top spot in the World Economic Forum’s latest Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, which ranked 140 countries on their relative strengths in global tourism and travel. Spain was followed by France, Germany and Japan, with the United States replacing the UK in the top five.
