India rises to 39th position in WEF index for travel, tourism development

India has climbed to the 39th position in the latest World Economic Forum's "Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024", as travel improves after the pandemic.

The United States (US) led the rankings and India was the top performer in South Asia and among the lower-middle-income nations, said the annual report on Tuesday.

India was 54th in 2021, but changes in index criteria limit its direct comparison with 2022 and 2023.

Spain, Japan, France, and Australia feature are the top four countries in the 2024 list, in that order.

According to the index, which was compiled in collaboration with the UK-based University of Surrey, India demonstrates high price competitiveness (18th) and possesses competitive air transport (26th) as well as ground and port (25th) infrastructure.

India's robust natural (6th), cultural (9th), and non-leisure (9th) resources contribute to its travel appeal, with the country being one of only three to secure a top 10 ranking across all resource pillars, the WEF said.

Despite a decline compared to 2019, India still performs well in terms of sustainability in travel and tourism demand, particularly due to the increased prevalence of sustainable long stays among inbound visitors.

Like other countries, India's travel and tourism industry has felt the impact of global inflationary supply-side trends.

This has led to a decline in price competitiveness, while the recovery of air transport and tourist services infrastructure hasn't reached the level seen in 2019.

The country's overall Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) score is 2.1 per cent lower than its 2019 level. Leading the index are high-income economies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.