Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

The Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2026 reports that global tourism development conditions are at their strongest since the pandemic, with 92% of ranked economies improving their scores between 2024 and 2026. Japan leads the rankings, while Asia-Pacific is the most improved region. Despite this growth, the sector faces intensifying constraints, including declining price competitiveness, persistent investment gaps, and workforce shortages, with a projected shortfall of 43 million workers by 2035. The report emphasizes a strategic shift from rebuilding to managing growth, urging destinations to diversify demand, protect operational continuity, compete on value rather than price, and ensure tourism benefits are shared with local communities to maintain social licence.

• Global travel and tourism development conditions have strengthened significantly, with 92% of the 110 ranked economies improving their TTDI scores between 2024 and 2026, and average scores rising by 2.1%.
• Japan is the top-ranked economy in the 2026 TTDI, and advanced economies continue to dominate the top 10, with European nations holding six of those positions.
• Asia-Pacific is the most improved region, with an average TTDI score increase of 3.6% between 2024 and 2026, while Albania was the most improved individual economy overall during that period.
• Price competitiveness has declined in 75% of ranked economies between 2024 and 2026, as costs for fuel, labour, and accommodation outpaced general inflation.
• The T&T sector faces a critical workforce crisis, with a projected shortfall of 43 million workers—approximately 16% below required levels—by 2035.
• Tourism investment has lagged behind demand since 2022, creating a gap that is expected to persist until 2033, particularly in G20 economies.
• While energy sustainability has improved due to the global energy transition, the T&T Socioeconomic Impact pillar declined by 3.5%, indicating that visitor growth is not automatically translating into broader local benefits.
• Digitalization and AI are transforming the sector, with the share of the world's largest travel companies mentioning AI in annual reports rising from 4% in 2022 to 35% in 2024.
• Geopolitical and climate disruptions are increasing operational strain, as seen in the 46.6% year-on-year contraction of traffic for Middle Eastern carriers in April 2026 due to regional conflict.

APA

World Economic Forum (2026). Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Travel_and_Tourism_Development_Index_2026.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026. 2026. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Travel_and_Tourism_Development_Index_2026.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026 |date=September 2026 |url=https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Travel_and_Tourism_Development_Index_2026.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2026travel, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Travel \& Tourism Development Index 2026}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2026}, month = sep, url = {https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Travel_and_Tourism_Development_Index_2026.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }