The World Economic Forum announced this week the 2024 Global Best Travel and Tourism Country Rankings, with the world’s largest economy, the United States, topping the list.
According to the report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the global travel industry in 2024 is expected to reach pre-pandemic levels. However, macroeconomic, geopolitical, and environmental factors continue to pose challenges to the recovery of the travel and tourism industry.
The latest rankings by WEF were determined based on a series of criteria, including infrastructure, natural resources, sustainability, workforce availability, and competitive pricing.
While the top spot in this ranking was taken by the United States, European countries dominated the top ten and top twenty positions. In the top ten, Spain closely followed the U.S. at number two, France at number four, Germany at number six, the UK at number seven, Italy at number nine, and Switzerland at number ten.
The report by WEF explained that Europe is a resilient destination with strong “intra-regional travel flows.” The report also highly commended the railway connectivity in Europe.
It comes as no surprise that France ranks high, with global attention focused on the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
While the United States is the only North American country in the top ten, neighboring Canada also performed well, securing the 11th position.
The World Economic Forum noted that the U.S. is a “mature” tourism market, indicating it already has the infrastructure in place to welcome visitors.
The vast expanse and rich tourism resources of the U.S., from national parks to major cities and beautiful beaches, set it apart in the global best travel rankings.
However, the U.S. also faces a potential challenge. The report mentioned the possibility of a shortage of tourism workforce in the country. Like many other places globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many to leave the hospitality industry and seek work in other sectors.
The report stated that major Asian markets are expected to continue catering to pent-up travel demand and drive growth in the global tourism industry after travel restrictions are lifted in 2024.
For Japan, ranked third in the “Global Best Travel and Tourism Country” rankings, this holds true. Since reopening after the pandemic, Japan has been experiencing a strong recovery in the tourism industry. With over three million foreign visitors each month in March and April 2024, even more tourists are expected to visit this Asian country during the upcoming summer vacation period.
(This article is based on reporting from CNN.)