India jumps 9 spots to rank 31st in WEF travel & tourism index 2026; Japan tops list

India has moved up nine places to 31st position among 110 economies in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI), reflecting improvements in tourism infrastructure, cultural resources and business travel facilities. Japan topped the global ranking, followed by the United States, Spain, Australia and France.

The TTDI, prepared by the WEF in collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group, evaluates the conditions and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of travel and tourism. It does not directly rank countries by tourist arrivals or spending, but assesses factors such as infrastructure, cultural and natural resources, connectivity, services and the overall environment for tourism development.

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India improves its tourism standing

India’s nine-place rise was supported by improvements in tourism infrastructure, cultural assets and business travel resources. The country also benefits from a cost-competitive travel environment, rich natural attractions and a large collection of cultural heritage sites. India, along with China and Mexico, is among the top 10 economies globally in terms of the number of World Heritage cultural sites.

The latest ranking marks a further improvement from India’s 2024 position. In the previous TTDI, India was ranked 39th among 119 economies. The 2026 index covers 110 economies.

However, the WEF identified several areas that continue to require attention. These include workforce skills, environmental sustainability and tourism infrastructure, which could influence the sector’s ability to handle rising demand.

Japan leads the 2026 rankings

Japan climbed two positions to claim the top spot in the 2026 TTDI. The country was followed by the US, Spain, Australia and France. Germany, the UK, China, Switzerland and Italy completed the top 10. China was the only Asian economy other than Japan in the top 10.

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Japan’s rise coincides with record international visitor numbers. The country welcomed 42.7 million international visitors in 2025, while visitor spending reached about $59.7 billion, according to the WEF.

Global tourism conditions strengthen

The WEF said tourism conditions improved across most economies between 2024 and 2026. 101 of the 110 economies recorded higher scores, while the average score increased by 2.1%, the fastest pace of growth since 2019. Improvements were driven by cultural resources, tourism infrastructure and services, air connectivity and business travel.