The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently named the United States as 2023’s top country for tourism.
Although it might surprise some, the source noted that America “retained its top spot.” Meanwhile, there were seven European countries listed in the top 10, and other countries in the mix were Japan, Australia, and China.
WEF’s Travel & Tourism Development Index created the criteria and ranked 119 countries. The rankings were based on 17 pillars, and, more specifically, 102 individual indicators. Some of the main pillars considered were a country’s health and hygiene, infrastructure, and safety and security. The index also looked at a nation’s resources, socioeconomic sustainability, labor availability, and transportation.
The index additionally analyzed a country’s openness to travel and tourism, travel and tourism’s prioritization, and the status of its competitive pricing. The report detailed that the competitive pricing pillar “measures how costly it is to travel or operate in a country.”
What Is The Current State Of Global Tourism?
WEF predicts 2024 will see “pre-pandemic levels” of international tourist arrivals.
Various portions of the index’s report outline the results by global regions. The source found that “Sub-Saharan Africa has seen the most movement [up the index] in its score since 2019.” However, the region’s score still ranked lowest in comparison to other global regions. Notably, the leading African country, South Africa, ranked 55th on the list.
Nineteen, of the index’s top 30 are in Europe, and seven are in the Asian Pacific. Out of that group, 26 of those countries are considered “high income.”
“These countries benefit from favorable business environments and labor markets, open travel policies, advanced technology adoption, excellent transport and tourism infrastructure, and rich natural, cultural, and non-leisure attractions,” noted WEF.
See the list of WEF’s 2024 Top 10 Countries for Tourism below.
- United States
- Spain
- Japan
- France
- Australia
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- China
- Italy
- Switzerland
