We have looked at the T&T competitiveness of 141 economies, based on the updated World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI). The TTCI represents our best efforts to capture the complex phenomenon of T&T competitiveness, demonstrating that a whole array of reforms and improvements in different areas are required for improving the T&T competitiveness of nations.

This year we present an updated index that reflects latest developments in terms of both concepts and data availability.

Four key findings emerge from the results of the 2015 TTCI and additional quantitative and qualitative analysis. First, the T&T industry continues to grow quickly, and has proven resilient to shocks. Second, new trends are emerging, and the countries performing better in the TTCI are those that are better equipped to capture the opportunities they bring. Third, developing the T&T sector provides growth opportunities for all countries, regardless of their wealth, and offers job opportunities at all skill levels. And finally, the development of the T&T industry is complex, requiring inter-ministerial coordination, and often international and public-private partnerships.

By highlighting success factors and obstacles to T&T competitiveness in economies around the world, the TTCI is a tool that can be used to identify the competitive strengths of individual economies as well as the barriers that impede the development of the sector. The index also allows economies to track their progress over time on those indicators of interest. We will continue to publish The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report on a biennial basis, providing a platform for dialogue between the business community and national policymakers working together to improve the T&T competitiveness of their respective economies, and thus improving prosperity of their citizens.