India is 54th On Global Travel Development Index.
Posted on May 24, 2022 by Ghoomophiro
India was ranked 54th place in the global travel and tourism development index, and it was at a top position within South Asia.
India has lost eight positions from 46th in the 2019 global travel and tourism development index, though remaining at the top within South Asia both times.
Japan has topped the global travel and tourism development index charts, followed by the United States, Spain, France, and Germany. Switzerland, Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Italy were the rest of the top ten in the global travel and tourism development index.
The global travel and tourism development index is World Economic Forum (WEF) ‘s biennial travel and tourism study that studies travel tourism industry development worldwide. Its most recent version reflects a recovering tourism sector following the CoOV-19 pandemic lows, though the recovery from the same has been uneven and challenges remain.
The Travel and Tourism Development Index assesses 117 economies, identifying critical factors enabling the sustainable and resilient growth of travel and tourism-based economies.
“COVID-19 shutdowns have re-emphasized the important contribution travel and tourism makes to many economies worldwide,” Lauren Uppink commented. She is the Head of Aviation at Travel and Tourism of the World Economic Forum.
The effects of CoVID-19 are still visible in the tourism and hospitality industry, which is yet to recover fully from its devastating effects despite recent optimistic trends.
“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 believed.
While overall international tourism and business travel are still below pre-pandemic levels, the travel sector recovery has been bolstered by ever more excellent vaccination rates, a return to more open trips, and growing demand for domestic and nature-based tourism. Many businesses and destinations in the sector have adapted to these shifting demand dynamics.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) ‘s findings credited the recovery in tourism to an increase in vaccination rates, curbs in travel restrictions, and economic growth. But it also noted that the recovery remains “slow and fragile” because of uneven “vaccine distribution, capacity constraints, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and more.”
“Government, business, and civil society leaders can address barriers to recovery by looking at the different factors that can support the long-term development and resiliency of their respective travel and tourism economies,” Ms. Uppink asserted.
“This will require decision-makers to restore consumer confidence and international openness by prioritizing enhanced health and security measures, encouraging inclusive labor practices, improving environmental sustainability, and investing in digital technology,” she commented.
The index further revealed that while international tourist arrivals globally have increased by 18 million in January this year compared to the same period in 2021, their number was still 67 percent below 2019 levels.
According to estimates, the difference in international tourist arrivals between January 2021 and January 2022 is much more significant than the total arrivals growth in 2021.
Other than the United States, the top-10 scoring economies are high-income economies in Europe or Asia-Pacific.
“The Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 is a direct evolution of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, published biennially for the past 15 years,” the World Economic Forum (WEF) said.
Business environment, health and hygiene, safety and security, cultural resources, price Competitiveness, Information, and Communication Technology (ICT) readiness, and Air transport infrastructure are some of the many pillars on which the Global Travel Development Index is based. Europe and Asia-Pacific regions have dominated these lists, though Europe has lost some ground due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
