Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Shutterstock Japan is the leading country in the world when it comes to conditions that enable tourism development, according to the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026.
The biennial index, published this month (September 2026), examined 110 economies and measures, among other things, infrastructure, air connectivity, natural and cultural resources, security, openness to tourism, workforce, and sustainability - and not the number of tourists or actual tourism revenue.
Japan tops the list with a score of 5.27, followed by the US, which was in first place in the previous index with 5.23, and Spain with 5.22. Australia, France, Germany and the UK complete the top five, with China in eighth place, Switzerland in ninth place and Italy in tenth place. In fact, nine of the top ten countries are advanced economies, with China being the only exception. Europe and Asia are the highest-performing regions in the index.
United States. Lost its primacy (Photo: Shutterstock)Greece ranks 21st in the world, with a score of 4.57, unchanged from the previous index, but with a 2.5% increase in score. This places it above the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Belgium and New Zealand, but behind Ireland, which is in 20th place.
One of the most striking figures in the report is the overall improvement in the sector. 92% of the 110 economies examined improved their score between 2024 and 2026, with the average score increasing by 2.1%.
At the same time, the forum warns that rising prices for accommodation, food, fuel and transport are harming price competitiveness, with three-quarters of the countries examined recording a decline in the price competitiveness index.
Data: World Economic Forum