India ascends to 39th position in the 2024 Global Tourism Development Index, with projections indicating a complete recovery of international tourist arrivals.
India has ascended to 39th position in the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index for 2024, with projections indicating that international tourist numbers will return to pre-pandemic figures by year-end, as per the World Economic Forum. Previously in 2021, India was positioned 54th.
Notably, India stands as the dominant Travel & Tourism market in South Asia, and it ranks highest among lower-middle-income economies on this index, according to WEF findings.
India’s impressive rankings in Natural (6th), Cultural (9th), and Non-Leisure (9th) Resources significantly contribute to its tourism appeal, making it one of only three countries to place in the top ten across these categories.
The index, developed together with the University of Surrey, highlights India’s competitiveness in pricing (18th) along with its robust Air Transport (26th) and Ground and Port Infrastructure (25th).
The index reveals that Europe and Asia-Pacific, especially the affluent nations within these regions, continue to present the most conducive environments for Travel & Tourism development. Of the top 30 entities in the 2024 TTDI, 26 belong to high-income categories, with 19 from Europe, seven from Asia-Pacific, three from the Americas, and one from the MENA region.
Leading the 2024 TTDI rankings are advanced economies such as the United States, Spain, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy, and Switzerland.
The leading 30 TTDI economies, characterized by advantageous factors like favorable business climates, open travel policies, and well-established transport, tourism, and ICT infrastructures, alongside natural, cultural, and recreational offerings, contributed over 75% to the T&T industry’s GDP in 2022 and 70% of its GDP growth from 2020 to 2022.
While T&T enabling conditions are on the rise in developing economies, there remains a significant gap in sector enablement that needs addressing.
Between 2019 and 2024, 52 out of the 71 economies that improved their TTDI rankings were from low to upper-middle-income groups.
Enhancements in ICT readiness and pandemic-influenced business and labor strategies are benefiting the T&T sector, yet more advances are necessary in workforce resilience and equality. The growth in ICT Readiness by 7.2% is attributed to the increased digital integration in T&T services, spurred by broader internet access, enhanced mobile network connectivity, and the adoption of digital payment methods. Additionally, policies introduced during the pandemic have potentially simplified operations for T&T businesses.
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