Pakistan ranks shockingly low in list of 119 countries for travel, tourism

The World Economic Forum published a comprehensive report on the global travel and tourism industry

Pakistan has been ranked 101 out of 119 countries in the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). In South-East Asia, Pakistan ranks slightly above Nepal (105) and Bangladesh (109), but far below India (39) and Sri Lanka (76). 

The TTDI is a part of the WEF’s broader work with the industry and government stakeholders to build a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future for economies and local communities. Pakistan is classified as a lower-middle-income economy and is part of the Asia-Pacific regional group. 

Within the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates topped the rankings at 18, followed by Saudi Arabia (41), Qatar, (53) and Bahrain (18). The United States topped the overall list, followed by Spain, Japan, and France. The remainder of the top ten list comprised Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy, and Switzerland. According to the report, the top 30 countries in the TTDI accounted for over 75% of the travel and tourism industry GDP in 2022, and 70% of GDP growth between 2020 and 2022. The lower half of the list consisted of African countries. 

The countries leading the TTDI rankings have been recognised for their favourable business environments, open travel policies, well-developed transport infrastructure, as well as rich natural, cultural, and non-leisure attractions.

Created in collaboration with the University of Surrey and with input from leading travel and tourism stakeholder organisations, thought leaders and data partners, the TTDI measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of travel and tourism. The latest report shows that the global travel and tourism sector is showing signs of moving past the Covid-19 lows, and in some cases has exceeded pre-pandemic levels. 

However, despite the upward trend, the WEF report highlighted challenges being faced within the industry. Global inflation, global conflict, and environmental issues such as wildfires in tourist destinations, have generated additional pressure. The report predicts that in the coming years, the travel and tourism industry will bear the brunt of geopolitical tensions, macroeconomic uncertainty, and the possible challenges brought on by artificial intelligence. Whilst developing economies like Pakistan have shown improvement in TTDI scores, many areas still need investment in enabling tourism conditions.

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