WEF Travel & Tourism Index 2026: Japan Leads Global Rankings as India Climbs Nine Places to 31st
Japan has emerged as the world’s top-ranked economy in the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2026, while India has recorded one of the notable gains among major tourism economies, climbing nine places to 31st globally.
The 2026 index, released by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group, assesses 110 economies on the conditions and policies that support the sustainable and resilient development of travel and tourism. Japan is followed by the United States, Spain, Australia and France in the top five.
Japan Takes the Top Position
Japan has moved into first place in the 2026 TTDI, followed by the United States, Spain, Australia and France. Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Switzerland and Italy complete the top 10.
The results underline the continued strength of advanced tourism economies, which account for nine of the 10 highest-ranked positions. At the same time, the WEF points to increasing momentum among emerging tourism markets, particularly across Asia-Pacific.
The Asia-Pacific region recorded the strongest regional improvement between 2024 and 2026, with its average TTDI score increasing by 3.6%. Seven of the 10 fastest-improving economies were from Asia-Pacific, highlighting the region’s growing importance in the global tourism landscape.
India Climbs to 31st
India’s position has improved from 39th in the previous index to 31st in 2026, a nine-place rise.
The improvement comes as India’s tourism sector continues to benefit from its large cultural and natural resource base, cost competitiveness and expanding tourism infrastructure. The WEF also identifies improvements in areas including cultural resources, tourism infrastructure and services, air connectivity and business travel as important drivers of broader tourism development.
India’s position is particularly significant in the context of the wider Asia-Pacific shift. The WEF identifies India alongside China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Viet Nam, the Philippines, Türkiye, Mexico and Brazil among the major emerging tourism economies showing stronger momentum.
India also remains one of the world’s major repositories of cultural tourism assets. The WEF notes that China, India and Mexico rank among the top 10 economies for the number of World Heritage cultural sites.
A Stronger Global Tourism Environment
The 2026 TTDI points to a broader improvement in the foundations supporting global travel and tourism.
Between 2024 and 2026, 101 of the 110 economies — 92% — improved their TTDI scores, while the global average increased by 2.1%. The WEF describes this as the fastest pace of improvement since 2019.
The improvement is also taking place against a backdrop of record global travel demand. International tourist arrivals reached approximately 1.5 billion in 2025, exceeding 2019 levels, while travel and tourism’s total economic contribution reached a record $11.6 trillion.
However, the WEF cautions that stronger demand does not automatically translate into sustainable tourism growth. Destinations are increasingly dealing with higher costs, infrastructure constraints, workforce shortages, environmental pressures and the challenge of ensuring that tourism benefits are distributed more broadly.
What the Index Means for India’s Travel Industry
For India’s travel trade, the nine-place improvement provides a positive signal about the country’s underlying tourism ecosystem. But the ranking should be read as a measure of tourism development conditions, rather than as a direct measure of tourist arrivals, revenue or market share.
The distinction is important. The TTDI evaluates factors such as the enabling business environment, safety and security, human resources, ICT readiness, tourism policy, price competitiveness, air transport infrastructure, ground and port infrastructure, tourism services, cultural and natural resources and sustainability.
For travel companies, destination marketers and investors, this creates a broader framework for understanding India’s tourism opportunity. Improvements in connectivity, infrastructure and visitor services can strengthen the country’s ability to convert its extensive cultural and natural assets into longer-term tourism value.
At the same time, the WEF’s findings indicate that the next phase of tourism development will require more than simply attracting additional visitors. Workforce capability, infrastructure investment, environmental sustainability and destination management will increasingly determine how effectively destinations can handle growing demand.
Asia-Pacific Gains Momentum
The latest index reinforces Asia-Pacific’s growing role in global tourism.
The region’s 3.6% improvement between 2024 and 2026 was the strongest among all regions. According to the WEF, gains in areas such as cultural resources, air transport infrastructure and non-leisure resources contributed to the region’s progress.
For India, this regional momentum creates both opportunities and competitive pressure. As destinations across Asia-Pacific improve connectivity, visitor infrastructure and tourism services, competition for international travellers is likely to increasingly depend on the overall quality and resilience of the visitor experience rather than on attractions alone.
From Tourism Recovery to Managed Growth
The broader message from the 2026 TTDI is that global tourism has moved beyond the immediate recovery phase.
The WEF argues that the challenge is increasingly one of managing growth — protecting the infrastructure, natural assets, communities and workforce that allow tourism economies to expand without undermining their long-term attractiveness.
Japan’s position at the top of the index and India’s rise to 31st illustrate two different aspects of this changing landscape: mature tourism economies continue to benefit from strong systems and infrastructure, while major emerging markets are closing parts of the development gap.
For India, the latest ranking adds another data point to the country’s expanding tourism story. The next test will be how effectively improvements in infrastructure, connectivity, services and sustainability can translate into stronger visitor experiences and broader economic value across the tourism ecosystem.
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