Japan tops global travel and tourism index, where does Bangladesh rank?
The World Economic Forum (WEF) publishes the Travel and Tourism Development Index every two years. In collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group, the organisation published the 2026 index on Friday. In this year’s index Bangladesh ranks 98th among 110 countries.
The index considers factors such as the business environment, safety and security, health and hygiene, human resources and labour market, information and communications technology readiness, travel and tourism prioritisation, international openness, price competitiveness, travel and tourism infrastructure and services, natural and cultural resources, and sustainable tourism development.
Bangladesh scored 3.34 out of 7. Among South Asian countries, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan rank above Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s position is also towards the lower end compared with countries in the broader Asia-Pacific region.
Japan tops the 2026 index, with a score of 5.27 out of 7. The United States, which topped the previous index, ranks second this time with a score of 5.23. It is followed by Spain (5.22), Australia (5.18) and France (5.17). The other countries in the top 10 are Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Switzerland and Italy.
The 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index comprises five dimensions, 17 pillars and 102 indicators. The WEF has cautioned against making direct comparisons with the results published in 2024.
This is because some changes were made to the data and methodology in the 2026 edition, and the 2024 results were also recalculated using the new methodology.
In addition, Barbados, Cambodia, Iran, Lebanon, Moldova, Montenegro, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela, which were included in the 2024 index, are not on this year’s list. No new economies have been added.
Between 2024 and 2026, scores increased for 101, or 92 per cent, of the 110 economies included in the index. The global average score increased by around 2.1 per cent. Bangladesh’s score increased by 1.6 per cent.
The WEF said the enabling environment for tourism development is now at its strongest since the pandemic. Between 2024 and 2026, average scores increased in 14 of the 17 areas measured by the index.
Significant improvements were recorded in cultural resources, tourism infrastructure and services, and air connectivity. Readiness in information and communications technology also improved during the same period.
However, rising costs in the tourism sector, a lack of investment, shortages of skilled workers and environmental pressures are emerging as major challenges. The report said price competitiveness declined in nearly three-quarters of the economies included in the index between 2024 and 2026.
Nineteen of the top 20 economies in the ranking are high-income countries. According to the WEF’s analysis, the leading countries’ major advantages lie in tourism services and infrastructure, ground and port infrastructure, air transport infrastructure, and cultural and other resources.
Source: World Economic Forum