Methodology details

Composition of the TTCI 2017

This section provides details about the construction of the 2017 edition of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI).

The TTCI structure (detailed below) is composed of 14 pillars organized into four subindexes: A) Enabling Environment (5 pillars): 1. Business Environment, 2. Safety and Security, 3. Health and Hygiene, 4. Human Resources and Labour Market, 5. ICT Readiness; B) T&T Policy and Enabling Conditions (4 pillars): 6. Prioritization of Travel & Tourism, 7. International Openness, 8. Price Competitiveness, 9. Environmental sustainability; C) Infrastructure (3 pillars): 10. Air Transport Infrastructure, 11. Ground and Port Infrastructure, 12. Tourist Service Infrastructure; and D) Natural and Cultural Resources (2 pillars): 13. Natural Resources and 14. Cultural Resources and Business Travel.

Data Definition and Sources

This section complements the data tables by providing full descriptions and sources of all the indicators used for the calculation of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017 (TTCI).

The number next to the indicator corresponds to the number of the data table that shows the ranks and scores for all countries/economies on this particular indicator. The data used in this Report include data derived from the Executive Opinion Survey as well as statistical data from other organizations. In the case of indicators derived from the Executive Opinion Survey (the Survey), the full question and associated answers are provided. For more details on Survey indicators, refer to Chapter 1.3 of The Global Competitiveness Report 2016–2017.

For indicators sourced from other organizations or national sources, because of space limitations it is not possible to reproduce in this Report all the additional information associated with specific data points. The data used in the computation of the TTCI 2017 represent the most recent and/or best data available at the time when they were collected. It is possible that data were updated or revised subsequently. Throughout the statistical tables in this publication, “n/a” denotes that the value is not available, or that available data are unreasonably outdated or do not come from a reliable source.

PILLAR 1: BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

1.01 Property rights

In your country, how strong is the protection of property rights, including financial assets? (1 = extremely weak, 7 = extremely strong) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

1.02 Impact of rules on FDI

In your country, to what extent do rules and regulations encourage or discourage foreign direct investment (FDI)? (1 = strongly discourage FDI, 7 = strongly encourage FDI) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

1.03cEfficiency of legal framework in settling disputes

In your country, how efficient is the legal framework for private businesses in settling disputes? (1 = extremely inefficient, 7 = extremely efficient) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

1.04 Efficiency of legal framework in challenging regulations (rule of law next year)

In your country, how easy is it for private businesses to challenge government actions and/or regulations through the legal system? (1 = extremely difficulty, 7 = extremely easy) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

1.05 Time required to deal with construction permits

Total number of days required to deal with procedures necessary to build a warehouse | 2016

This indicator measures the median duration (in number of days) that local experts indicate is necessary in practice for a business to build a warehouse. The duration takes into account the following procedures: obtaining and submitting all relevant project-specific documents (for example, building plans, site maps and certificates of urbanism) to the authorities; hiring external third-party supervisors, engineers or inspectors; obtaining all necessary clearances, licenses, permits and certificates; submitting all required notifications; and requesting and receiving all necessary inspections as well as all procedures for obtaining connections for water and sewerage. For further details, visit http://www.doingbusiness.org/methodology.

Source: World Bank/International Finance Corporation, Doing Business 2017 Equal Opportunity for All

1.06 Cost to deal with construction permits

Cost is recorded as a percentage of the warehouse value | 2016

This indicator measures the cost associated with the procedures necessary for a business to build a warehouse (respect to its value). This cost is related to the following procedures: obtaining and submitting all relevant project-specific documents (for example, building plans, site maps and certificates of urbanism) to the authorities; hiring external third-party supervisors, engineers or inspectors; obtaining all necessary clearances, licenses, permits and certificates; submitting all required notifications; and requesting and receiving all necessary inspections as well as all procedures for obtaining connections for water and sewerage. For further details, visit http://www.doingbusiness.org/methodology.

Source: World Bank/International Finance Corporation, Doing Business 2017 Equal Opportunity for All

1.07 Extent of market dominance

In your country, how would you characterize corporate activity? (1 = dominated by a few business groups, 7 = spread among many firms) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

1.08 Time required to start a business

Number of days required to start a business | 2016

This indicator measures the median duration that incorporation lawyers indicate is necessary to complete a procedure with minimum follow-up with government agencies and no extra payments. For further details, visit http://www.doingbusiness.org/methodology.

Source: World Bank/International Finance Corporation, Doing Business 2017 Equal Opportunity for All

1.09 Cost to start a business

Cost to start a business as a percentage of the economy’s income (GNI) per capita | 2016

This indicator measures all official fees and fees for legal or professional services if such services are required by law. For further details, visit http://www.doingbusiness.org/methodology.

Source: World Bank/International Finance Corporation, Doing Business 2017 Equal Opportunity for All

1.10 Extent and effect of taxation on incentives to work

In your country, to what extent do taxes reduce the incentive to work? (1 = significantly reduce the incentive to work, 7 = does not reduce incentive to work at all) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

1.11 Extent and effect of taxation on incentives to invest

In your country, to what extent do taxes reduce the incentive to invest? (1 = significantly reduce the incentive to invest, 7 = do not reduce the incentive to invest at all) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

1.12 Total tax rate

A combination of profit tax (% of profits), labour tax and contribution (% of profits) and other taxes (% of profits) | 2016

The total tax rate measures the amount of taxes and mandatory contributions payable by a medium-size company, expressed as a share of commercial profits. The total amount of taxes is the sum of five different types of taxes and contributions payable after accounting for deductions and exemptions: profit or corporate income tax, social contributions and labour taxes paid by the employer, property taxes, turnover taxes and other small taxes. For more details about the methodology employed and the assumptions made to compute this indicator, visit http://www.doingbusiness.org/methodology.

Source: World Bank/International Finance Corporation, Doing Business 2017 Equal Opportunity for All

1.12a Labour and contributions tax rate

Amount of taxes and mandatory contributions on labour paid by the business as a percentage of commercial profits | 2016

Source: World Bank/International Finance Corporation, Doing Business 2017 Equal Opportunity for All

1.12b Profit tax rate

Amount of taxes on profits paid by the business as a percentage of commercial profit | 2016

Source: World Bank/International Finance Corporation, Doing Business 2017 Equal Opportunity for All

1.12c Other taxes rate

Amount of taxes and mandatory contributions paid by the business as a percentage of commercial profit that are not already included in the categories of profit or labour taxes | 2016

Source: World Bank/International Finance Corporation, Doing Business 2017 Equal Opportunity for All

PILLAR 2: SAFETY AND SECURITY

2.01 Business costs of crime and violence

In your country, to what extent does the incidence of crime and violence impose costs on businesses? (1 = to a great extent, 7 = not at all) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

2.02 Reliability of police services

In your country, to what extent can police services be relied upon to enforce law and order? (1 = cannot be relied upon at all, 7 = can be completely relied upon) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

2.03 Business costs of terrorism

In your country, to what extent does the threat of terrorism impose costs on businesses? (1 = to a great extent, 7 = not at all) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

2.04 Index of terrorism incidence

Simple average of the number of terrorism-related casualties (injuries and fatalities) and the number of terrorist attacks, each normalized on a scale of 1 to 7 | 2013–2015 total

This index has been created on the basis of data contained in the START Database (National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism). It is the average of the total number of “terrorism attacks” during the 2010–2012 period and the total number of “terrorism casualties” (fatalities plus injured people) over the same period. Prior to aggregation, both totals were transformed on a scale ranging from 1 (most attacks/casualties) to 7 (no attack/casualty) using a min-max formula. On both measures, economies whose terrorism incidence is above the 95th percentile are assigned a transformed score of 1.

Source: World Economic Forum’s calculations based on data from National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved from http://www.start.umd.edu/gtd on January 17, 2017.

2.05 Homicide rate

Number of homicide cases per 100,000 population | 2014 or most recent

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) collects statistics on homicide occurrences worldwide, pooling information from national sources as well as other international institutions such as Interpol, Eurostat, the Organization of American States, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Note: Higher value means worse outcome.

Source: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

PILLAR 3: HEALTH AND HYGIENE

3.01 Physician density

Physician density per 1,000 population | 2012 or most recent

This indicator measures the number of physicians in the country per 1,000 population. Physicians include generalist medical practitioners and specialist medical practitioners.

Source: The World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository

3.02 Access to improved sanitation

Access to adequate sanitation as a percentage of total population | 2015 or most recent

This indicator refers to the percentage of the population with at least adequate access to excreta disposal facilities that can effectively prevent human, animal and insect contact with excreta. Improved facilities range from simple but protected pit latrines to flush toilets with a sewerage connection. To be effective, facilities must be correctly constructed and properly maintained.

Source: The World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository

3.03 Access to improved drinking water

Access to safe drinking water as a percentage of total population | 2015 or most recent

This indicator refers to the percentage of the population with reasonable access to an adequate amount of water from an improved source, such as a household connection, public standpipe, borehole, protected well or spring and rainwater collection. Unimproved sources include vendors, tanker trucks and unprotected wells and springs. “Reasonable access” is defined as the availability of at least 20 litres per person per day from a source within one kilometre of the dwelling.

Source: The World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory Data Repository

3.04 Hospital beds

Hospital beds per 10,000 population | 2011 or most recent

Hospital beds include inpatient beds available in public, private, general and specialized hospitals and rehabilitation centres. In most cases, beds for both acute and chronic care are included.

Source: The World Bank, World Development Indicators, 2014 Edition (retrieved on November 2016)

3.05 HIV prevalence

HIV prevalence as a percentage of adults aged 15–49 years | 2014 or most recent

HIV prevalence refers to the percentage of people aged 15–49 who are infected with HIV at a particular point in time, no matter when infection occurred.

Source: The World Bank, World Development Indicators database (accessed May 18, 2015, and May 19, 2016); UNAIDS, UNAIDS Global Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic (2008, 2010, 2012, and 2013 editions); UNAIDS, IUNAIDS Gap Report 2014; national sources

3.06 Malaria incidence

Estimated number of malaria cases per 100,000 population | 2012 or most recent

This indicator refers to the estimated number of new cases of malaria in the economy per 100,000 population. M.F. and S.L. indicate respectively that the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the area malaria-free (M.F.) or that it has included it in the supplementary list (S.L.) of areas where malaria has never existed or has disappeared without specific measures. Hong Kong SAR and Puerto Rico have been considered malaria-free (M.F.) following the assessment by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Source: The World Health Organization, World Malaria Report 2012 and 2015 editions; United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Malaria Information and Prophylaxis information (accessed July 29, 2016). NOTE: For economies that were declared free of malaria by the World Health Organization (WHO) (except in the case of Hong Kong SAR, for which malaria assessment by CDC), that are included in the WHO’s supplementary list of areas where malaria has never existed or has disappeared without specific measures, or that are currently in the prevention of reintroduction phase as identified by the WHO, this indicator is excluded from the calculation of the GCI. In the Country/Economy profiles of these economies, the following abbreviations are used: M.F. for malaria-free economies; P.R. indicates prevention of reintroduction phase; and S.L. means the economy is on the WHO’s supplementary list.

PILLAR 4: HUMAN RESOURCES AND LABOUR MARKET

4.01 Primary education enrolment rate

Net primary education enrolment rate | 2015 or most recent

The reported value corresponds to the ratio of children of official school age (as defined by the national education system) who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Primary education (ISCED level 1) provides children with basic reading, writing and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art and music.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Data Centre (accessed December, 2016); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Education at a Glance 2015; UNICEF; national sources

4.02 Secondary education enrolment rate

Gross secondary education enrolment rate | 2015 or most recent

The reported value corresponds to the ratio of total secondary enrolment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the secondary education level. Secondary education (ISCED levels 2 and 3) completes the provision of basic education that began at the primary level and aims to lay the foundations for lifelong learning and human development by offering more subject- or skills-oriented instruction using more specialized teachers.

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Data Centre (accessed December, 2016); national sources

4.03 Extent of staff training

In your country, to what extent do companies invest in training and employee development? (1 = not at all, 7 = to a great extent) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

4.04 Treatment of customers

In your country, how well do companies treat customers? (1 = indifferent to customer satisfaction, 7 = highly responsive to customers and seek customer retention) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

4.05 Hiring and firing practices

In your country, how would you characterize the hiring and firing of workers? (1 = heavily impeded by regulations, 7 = extremely flexible) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

4.06 Ease of finding skilled employees

In your country, to what extent can companies find people with the skills required to fill their vacancies? (1 = not at all, 7 = to a great extent) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

4.07 Ease of hiring foreign labour

In your country, how restrictive are regulations related to the hiring of foreign labour? (1 = highly restrictive, 7 = not restrictive at all) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

4.08 Pay and productivity

In your country, to what extent is pay related to worker productivity? (1 = not related to worker productivity, 7 = strongly related to worker productivity) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

4.09 Female labour force participation

Ratio of women to men in the labour force | 2015 or most recent

This indicator is the percentage of women aged 15–64 participating in the labour force divided by the percentage of men aged 15–64 participating in the labour force.

Source: International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Markets, 8th Edition; national sources

PILLAR 5: ICT READINESS

5.01 ICT use for business-to-business transactions

In your country, to what extent do businesses use ICTs for transactions with other businesses? (1 = not at all, 7 = to a great extent) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

5.02 Internet use for business-to-consumer transactions

In your country, to what extent do businesses use the internet for selling their goods and services to consumers? (1 = not at all, 7 = to a great extent) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

5.03 Individuals using the internet

Percentage of individuals using the internet | 2015 or most recent

Internet users are people using the internet from any device (including mobile phones) in the last 12 months. Data are based on surveys generally carried out by national statistical offices or estimated based on the number of internet subscriptions.

Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Indicators 2016, December update

5.04 Broadband internet subscribers

Fixed broadband internet subscriptions per 100 population | 2015 or most recent

This refers to total fixed (wired) broadband internet subscriptions (that is, subscriptions to high-speed access to the public Internet—a TCP/IP connection—at downstream speeds equal to or greater than 256 kb/s).

Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Indicators 2016, December update

5.05 Mobile telephone subscriptions

Number of mobile telephone subscriptions per 100 population | 2015 or most recent

A mobile telephone subscription refers to a subscription to a public mobile telephone service that provides access to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) using cellular technology, including the number of pre-paid SIM cards active during the past three months. This includes both analogue and digital cellular systems (IMT-2000, Third Generation, 3G) and 4G subscriptions, but excludes mobile broadband subscriptions via data cards or USB modems. Subscriptions to public mobile data services, private trunked mobile radio, telepoint or radio paging and telemetry services are also excluded. It includes all mobile cellular subscriptions that offer voice communications.

Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Indicators 2016, December update

5.06 Mobile broadband subscriptions

Mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 population | 2015 or most recent

Mobile broadband subscriptions refers to active SIM cards or, on CDMA networks, connections accessing the internet at consistent broadband speeds of over 512 kb/s, including cellular technologies such as HSPA, EV-DO and above. This includes connections being used in any type of device able to access mobile broadband networks, including smartphones, USB modems, mobile hotspots and other mobile-broadband connected devices.

Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Indicators 2016, December update

5.07 Mobile network coverage

Percentage of total population covered by a mobile network signal | 2015 or most recent

This indicator measures the percentage of inhabitants who are within range of a mobile cellular signal, irrespective of whether or not they are subscribers. This is calculated by dividing the number of inhabitants within range of a mobile cellular signal by the total population. Note that this is not the same as the mobile subscription density or penetration.

Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication Indicators 2016, December update

5.08 Quality of electricity supply

In your country, how reliable is the electricity supply (lack of interruptions and lack of voltage fluctuations)? (1 = extremely unreliable, 7 = extremely reliable) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

PILLAR 6: PRIORITIZATION OF TRAVEL & TOURISM

6.01 Government prioritization of travel and tourism industry

How high of a priority is the development of the travel & tourism (T&T) industry for the government of your country? (1 = not a priority at all, 7 = a top priority) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

6.02 T&T government expenditure

T&T government expenditure as a percentage of total government budget | 2015 or most recent

This indicator includes expenditures (transfers or subsidies) made by government agencies to provide T&T services such as cultural (e.g. art museums), recreational (e.g. national parks), clearance (e.g. immigration/customs) and so on to visitors.

Source: World Travel & Tourism Council, Tourism Satellite Account Research 2016

6.03 Effectiveness of marketing and branding to attract tourists

How effective is your country’s marketing and branding campaigns at attracting tourists? (1 = not effective at all, 7 = extremely effective) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

6.04 Comprehensiveness of annual T&T data

Number of data available (0 = no data, 120 = all selected indicators are available) | 2012–2016

This indicator shows how many of the yearly data provided by national administrations on 30 different concepts from the UNWTO Compendium of Tourism Statistics are available. It covers 2012 through 2016. The scores range from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 120, where 120 can be obtained by a country providing data for all the 30 concepts in all of the four years taken into consideration.

Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

6.05 Timeliness of providing monthly/quarterly T&T data

Number of latest data available (0 = no data, 22.5 = data reported for all the periods considered) | 2015–2016

This indicator shows the availability of two key T&T indicators (international tourist arrivals and tourism receipts) on a monthly or quarterly basis, covering the period from October 2014 to November 2016. The UNWTO has calculated the score of each country based on the data included in the latest available UNWTO World Tourism Barometer by adding the number of months for which data on the international tourist arrivals are available to the number of months for which data on international tourism receipts are available. Half weight has been applied to the lower of the two scores, so the scores range from a minimum of 0 to a maximum of 22.5

Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

6.06 Country Brand Strategy rating

This indicator evaluates the accuracy of the strategy of National Tourism Organizations (NTO) by a formula that compares the most popular brandtags (as measured by the proprietary Digital Demand D2 tool) for a specific country to the brandtags most heavily promoted by that country’s NTO. A country brand receives a higher rating if that country’s NTO focuses its strategic and promotional positioning on the tourism-related brandtags with the highest demand (as measured by total online searches) from international tourists. A poor rating can suggest either the inappropriate promotion of the least popular brandtags (as measured by total online searches) by an NTO or the lack of focus on the brandtags in highest demand.

Source: Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking, Tourism Edition. Available at http://www.bloom-consulting.com/pdf/rankings/Bloom_Consulting_Country_Brand_Ranking_Tourism.pdf

PILLAR 7: INTERNATIONAL OPENNESS

7.01 Visa requirements

Visa requirements for entry in the destination country for a tourism visit of a limited duration for visitors from worldwide source markets (100 = no visa required for visitors from all source markets, 0 = traditional visa required for visitors from every source market) | 2016

This indicator measures to what extent a destination country is facilitating inbound tourism through its visa policy, distinguishing whether the country can be visited without a visa, a visa can be obtained on arrival or an electronic visa is available. It is calculated as a percentage of the world population that is exempt from a visa or is eligible for visa on arrival or electronic visa when visiting the destination country, where: A) the population of source markets that can visit the destination country without a visa is fully counted (i.e. weight 1); B) the population of source markets that can obtain a visa on arrival when entering the destination country is weighted by 0.7; and C) the population of source markets that can use an electronic visa is weighted by 0.5. The indicator is consistent with the UNWTO Visa Openness Report 2015 that can be downloaded from http://rcm.unwto.org/content/facilitation-tourist-travel.

Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

7.02 Openness of bilateral Air Service Agreements

Index measuring the average openness of air service agreements (0 = most restricted, 38 = most liberal) | 2011

This index measures the weighted average openness of all bilateral Air Service Agreements (ASAs) concluded by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) signatories as registered in ICAO’s World’s Air Services Agreements (WASA) database (2010 update). The weights are the bilateral scheduled passenger traffic taking place under each ASA. Regulatory data come from ICAO’s WASA database and traffic data were obtained from IATA.

Source: World Trade Organization, based on ICAO and IATA data

7.03 Number of regional trade agreements in force

Number of goods (RTAs) and services (EIAs) notifications | 2016

This indicator assess the level of openness of a country to foreign goods and services as measured by the sum of the number of Regional Trade Agreements (RTA) and the number of Economic Integration Agreements (EIA) in force to the WTO. Members entering into RTAs are required to notify RTA to the WTO, either under Article XXIV of the GATT 1994 or the Enabling Clause (for RTAs covering trade in goods), or under Article V of the GATS (for RTAs covering trade in services). In a case of an RTA covering both goods and services, two notifications are required. The notification should be made following ratification of the RTA and before the application of preferential treatment between the parties.

Source: World Trade Organization; Regional Trade Agreements Information System (RTA-IS) available at http://rtais.wto.org/UI/PublicMaintainRTAHome.aspx

PILLAR 8: PRICE COMPETITIVENESS

8.01 Ticket taxes and airport charges

Index of relative cost of access (ticket taxes and airport charges) to international air transport services (0 = highest cost, 100 = lowest cost) | 2016 or most recent

This index measures the relative cost of access to international air transport services based on the level of airport charges, passenger ticket taxes and value-added taxation. It reflects the costs associated with a narrow-body and a wide-body passenger plane arrival and departure at the major international airports in each country. Charges include landing, terminal navigation and passenger and security charges as listed in the IATA Airport and Air Navigation Charges manual. Ticket taxes applicable to international travel were applied as described in the IATA List of Ticket and Airport Taxes and Fees manual. Per-passenger charges were calculated by applying a 75% load factor to a typical seating configuration of each type of aircraft. Value-added taxes (VATs) were calculated based on an average ticket price for each country, applied to half of the departing passengers, because the VAT is normally charged only on itineraries originating in the country concerned. A higher score indicates a lower level of charges and taxes.

Source: International Air Transport Association, SRS Analyser

8.02 Hotel price index

Average room rates calculated for first-class branded hotels for calendar year (US dollars) | 2016 or most recent

This index measures the average price, in US dollars, of first-class hotel accommodation in each country. The index is calculated by using the average room rate achieved by first-class hotels in each country over a 12-month period from October 2015 through October 2016, to mitigate the impact of any seasonality fluctuations. Data may refer to the 2015 period where the 2016 update is not available.

Source: Deloitte–STR Global and Smith Travel Research Inc.

8.03 Purchasing power parity

Ratio of purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion factor to official exchange rate | 2015 or most recent available

The World Bank defines the purchasing power parity (PPP) conversion factor as the number of units of a country’s currency required to buy the same amount of goods and services in the domestic market as a US dollar would buy in the United States. Official exchange rate refers to the exchange rate determined by national authorities or to the rate determined in the legally sanctioned exchange market. It is calculated as an annual average based on monthly averages (local currency units relative to the US dollar). The variable shown is the PPP conversion factor to market exchange rate ratio as reported by the World Bank’s World Development Indicator database.

Source: The World Bank, World Development Indicators (retrieved December 2016)

8.04 Fuel price levels

Retail diesel fuel prices expressed as US cents per litre | 2014 or most recent available

This indicator refers to the pump prices of the most widely sold grade diesel fuel.

Source: The World Bank, World Development Indicators (retrieved December 2016)

PILLAR 9: ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

9.01 Stringency of environmental regulations

How would you assess the stringency of your country’s environmental regulations? (1 = very lax, among the worst in the world; 7 = among the world’s most stringent) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

9.02 Enforcement of environmental regulations

In your country, how would you assess the enforcement of environmental regulations? (1 = very lax, among the worst in the world; 7 = among the world’s most rigorous) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

9.03 Sustainability of travel and tourism industry development

How effective is your government’s efforts to ensure that the Travel & Tourism sector is being developed in a sustainable way? (1 = very ineffective, development of the sector does not take into account issues related to environmental protection and sustainable development; 7 = very effective, issues related to environmental protection and sustainable development are at the core of the government’s strategy) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

9.04 Particulate matter (2.5) concentration

Population-weighted exposure to PM2.5 (micro-grams per cubic meter) | 2014

These data were derived from a model that was parameterized by data on Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) from NASA’s MODIS, SeaWiFS, and MISR satellite instruments, and the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model. The model covered all areas south of 70 degree north Latitude and north of 70 degree south latitude. van Donkelaar et al. estimated annual global surface PM2.5 concentrations at a 10 x 10 km spatial resolution. For more details, refer to: http://epi.yale.edu/sites/default/files/Yale%20EPI%20Metadata_2016.pdf

Source: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy (YCELP) and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University, Environmental Performance Index 2016, available at http://epi.yale.edu/epi/issue-rankings

9.05 Environmental treaty ratifications

Total number of ratified environmental treaties (0-32 scale, where 32 is best) | 2016

This indicator measures the total number of international treaties from a set of 27 for which a state is a participant. A state is acknowledged as a participant whenever is status for each treaty appears as Ratified, Accession, or In Force. The treaties included are: the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, 1948 Washington; the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954, as amended in 1962 and 1969, 1954 London; the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, 1971 Ramsar; the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 1972 Paris; the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972 London, Mexico City, Moscow, Washington; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 1973 Washington; the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) as modified by the Protocol of 1978, London; the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 1979 Bonn; the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 Montego Bay; the Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, 1985 Vienna; the Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, 1987 Montreal; the Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, 1989 Basel; the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, 1990 London; the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1992 New York; the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992 Rio de Janeiro; the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, 1992; the International Convention to Combat Desertification in Those countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly Africa, 1994 Paris; the Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, 1994 New York; the Agreement relating to the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, 1995 New York; the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on the Climate Change, Kyoto 1997; the Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses, 1997; the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, 1998 Rotterdam; the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, 1998; the Cartagena Protocol of Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2000 Montreal; the Protocol on Preparedness, Response and co-operation to Pollution Incidents by Hazardous and Noxious Substances, 2000 London; the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, 2001 Stockholm; the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, 2001 Rome; the Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers 2003; the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 2006 Geneva; the Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, 2010 Nagoya – Kuala Lumpur; the Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and their Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya 2010; the Convention on Mercury, Minamata, 2013; and the Paris Agreement 2015.

Source: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Environmental Law Centre ELIS Treaty Database

9.06 Baseline water stress

Normalized (0–5) projected water stress | 2014

Based on annual water withdrawal data, this indicator estimates projected future country-level water stress for 2020 under a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario. For more details, see Luck, M., M. Landis, and F. Gassert, “Aqueduct Water Stress Projections: Decadal Projections of Water Supply and Demand Using CMIP5 GCMs,” Technical note (Washington, DC: World Resources Institute, April 2015), http://www.wri.org/publication/aqueduct-water-stress-projections.

Source: World Resources Institute, Aqueduct

9.07 Threatened species

Threatened species as a percentage of total species (mammals, birds and amphibians) | 2016

This indicator measures the total number of Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable species as a percentage of total known species for mammals, birds and amphibians.

Source: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Red List of Threatened Species 2016

9.08 Forest cover change

Forest loss in > 30% tree cover since 2000 | 2014

This indicator measures the loss in the sum of annual tree cover between 2000 and 2014 in areas with greater than 30% tree cover, divided by 2000 forest extent. It factors in areas of tree cover loss across a range of causes including anthropogenic deforestation, natural and anthropogenic forest fires, clearing trees for agriculture, logging, plantation harvesting, and tree mortality due to natural causes. For more information refer to: http://epi.yale.edu/sites/default/files/Yale%20EPI%20Metadata_2016.pdf

Source: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy (YCELP) and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University, Environmental Performance Index 2016, available at http://epi.yale.edu/epi/issue-rankings

9.09 Wastewater treatment

Percentage of wastewater that receives treatment weighted by connection to wastewater treatment rate | 2015

This indicator measures the percentage of wastewater that is treated before it is released back into ecosystems. Wastewater treatment performance is measured by volume of wastewater that is treated over time. Performance metrics are established by public or privately-owned, operated utilities for a municipal area. A number of datasets were collated to compute this indicator: A source-type hierarchy was used to find a value for each data point: 1) Country-level statistical data and reports; 2) OECD and EuroStat values were then used (“population connected to a wastewater treatment plant”) and; 3) United Nations Statistics Division’s “Population connected to wastewater treatment” variable; 4) percentage of wastewater treated to secondary and tertiary treatment levels from the Global Water Intelligence and the Pinsent-Masons Water Yearbook; 5) FAO-AQUASTAT values (“Total volume of wastewater treated” / “Total volume of wastewater collected”*100) for a given year, country. For more information refer to: http://epi.yale.edu/sites/default/files/Yale%20EPI%20Metadata_2016.pdf

Source: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy (YCELP) and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University, Environmental Performance Index 2016, available at http://epi.yale.edu/epi/issue-rankings

9.10 Coastal shelf fishing pressure

Trawling catch per exclusive economic zone (EEZ) (tonnes per square kilometre) | 2006 or most recent

This indicator assesses the total catch from trawling and dredging equipment divided by the total area of each country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Ocean ecosystems are significantly affected by the way in which aquatic species are harvested. Bottom or benthic trawling and dredging fishing techniques leave widespread, lasting damage on the sea beds and the ecosystem. This indicator is derived from the Sea Around Us spatial database, which is based on several major data sources such as the FAO capture fisheries and its regional bodies, the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) STATLANT database (www.ices.int/fish/statlant.htm), the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO; www.nafo.ca/) as well as data provided from the Canadian, United States and other governments. The catches in each spatial cell are associated with the appropriate fishing gear code to determine the catch from trawling and dredging gears. This total metric tonnes of catch is divided to the area of EEZ.

Source: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy (YCELP) and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University, Environmental Performance Index 2014, available at http://epi.yale.edu/epi/issue-rankings

PILLAR 10: AIR TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

10.01 Quality of air transport infrastructure

How would you assess the quality of air transport infrastructure in your country? (1 = extremely underdeveloped, among the worst in the world; 7 = extensive and efficient, among the best in the world) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

10.02 Available seat kilometres, domestic

Scheduled available domestic seat kilometres originating in country per week (year average) | 2015

This indicator measures an airline’s passenger-carrying capacity. It is composed of the number of seats available on each domestic flight multiplied by the flight distance in kilometres. The final value represents the weekly average for the year (Jan–Dec), taking into account flights scheduled beforehand by airline companies.

Source: International Air Transport Association, SRS Analyser

10.03 Available seat kilometres, international

Scheduled available international seat kilometres originating in country per week (year average) | 2015

This indicator measures an airline’s passenger-carrying capacity. It is composed of the number of seats available on each international flight multiplied by the flight distance in kilometres. The final value represents the weekly average for the year (Jan–Dec), taking into account flights scheduled beforehand by airline companies.

Source: International Air Transport Association, SRS Analyser

10.04 Aircraft departures

Number of aircraft departures per 1,000 population | 2015 or most recent

Aircraft departures are the number of domestic and international take-offs of air carriers registered in the country.

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (accessed December 2016)

10.05 Airport density

Number of airports with at least one scheduled flight per million of urban population | 2015 or most recent

Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.

Source: Author’s calculation based on International Air Transport Association, SRS Analyser and World Bank, World Development Indicators (accessed 3 December 2016)

10.06 Number of operating airlines

Number of airlines with scheduled flights originating in country | 2015

Source: International Air Transport Association, SRS Analyser

PILLAR 11: GROUND AND PORT INFRASTRUCTURE

11.01 Quality of roads

How would you assess the quality of roads in your country? (1 = extremely underdeveloped, among the worst in the world; 7 = extensive and efficient, among the best in the world) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

11.02 Quality of railroad infrastructure

How would you assess the quality of railroad infrastructure in your country? (1 = extremely underdeveloped, among the worst in the world; 7 = extensive and efficient, among the best in the world) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

11.03 Quality of port infrastructure

How would you assess the quality of seaport infrastructure in your country? (1 = extremely underdeveloped, among the worst in the world; 7 = extensive and efficient, among the best in the world | For landlocked countries, please assess access to seaports (1 = extremely underdeveloped, among the worst in the world; 7 = extensive and efficient, among the best in the world) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

11.04 Ground transport efficiency

Average score across the two components of the following Executive Opinion Survey questions: In your country, how efficient (i.e. frequency, punctuality, speed, price) are the following transport services? a. Ground transportation (buses, subways, taxis) (1 = extremely inefficient, among the worst in the world; 7 = extremely efficient, among the best in the world) b. Train services (1 = extremely inefficient, among the worst in the world; 7 = extremely efficient, among the best in the world)? | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

11.05 Railroad density

Kilometres of railroad per 100 square kilometres of land | 2014 or most recent available

Railroad density is the ratio of the length of the country’s total railroad network to the country’s land area. Rail lines are the length of railway routes available for train service, irrespective of the number of parallel tracks.

Source: The World Bank, World Development Indicators (retrieved on December 2016)

11.06 Road density

Kilometres of road per 100 square kilometres of land | 2014 or most recent available

Road density is the ratio of the length of the country’s total road network to the country’s land area. The road network includes all roads in the country: motorways, highways, main or national roads, secondary or regional roads and other urban and rural roads.

Source: IRF Geneva, World Road Statistics WRS

11.07 Paved road density (km/surface area)

Kilometres of paved road per 100 square kilometres of land | 2014 or most recent available

Road density is the ratio of the length of the country’s total paved road network to the country’s land area. Paved roads are those surfaced with crushed stone (macadam) and hydrocarbon binder or bituminized agents, with concrete, or with cobblestones, as a percentage of all the country’s roads, measured in length.

Source: IRF Geneva, World Road Statistics WRS

PILLAR 12: TOURIST SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

12.01 Hotel rooms

Number of hotel rooms per 100 population | 2015 or most recent

Source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

12.02 Quality of tourism infrastructure

In your country, how do you assess the quality of tourism infrastructure (e.g. hotels, resorts, entertainment facilities)? (1 = very poor, among the worst in the world; 7 = excellent, among the best in the world) | 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

12.03 Presence of major car rental companies

Index of presence of major car rental companies (1 = no company is present, 7 = all seven considered companies are present) | 2016

This indicator measures the presence of seven major car rental companies: Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, National Car Rental, Sixt and Thrifty. For each country we count how many of these companies operate via an online research.

Source: Author’s calculation based on the individual rental car websites

12.04 ATMs per adult population

Number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adult population | 2014

Source: The World Bank, World Development Indicators (retrieved on December 2016)

PILLAR 13: NATURAL RESOURCES

13.01 Number of World Heritage natural sites

Number of World Heritage natural sites in the country | 2016

World Heritage natural sites are those properties that the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value.

Source: UNESCO World Heritage List, available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/

13.02 Total known species

Total known species of mammals, birds and amphibians in the country | 2016

This indicator measures the total known species of mammals, birds and amphibians.

Source: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Red List Threatened Species

13.03 Total protected areas

Total hectares of terrestrial and marine areas under protection as a share of country’s total territorial area | 2014

A terrestrial area includes total land area and inland waters. Marine areas, also known as territorial seas, are defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as belts of coastal waters extending at most twelve nautical miles from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state. Protected areas (marine, terrestrial or freshwater), as defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), are clearly defined geographical spaces, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. Only protected areas that are nationally designated are included in this indicator. The status designated is attributed to a protected area when the corresponding authority, according to national legislation or common practice (e.g. by means of an executive decree or the like), officially endorses a document of designation. The designation must be made for the purpose of biodiversity conservation, not single species protection or fortuitous de facto protection arising because of some other activity (e.g. military).

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, available at: http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Default.aspx

13.04 Natural tourism digital demand

Number of online searches index (0–100 scale, where 100 is best) | 2016

This indicator measures the total online search volume related to the following nature-related brandtags: Beaches, Adventure and Extreme, Diving, Fishing, Hiking, Surfing, Water Sports, Winter Sports, Animal Watching, Protected Areas and Sustainable and Rural Tourism. The calculation is based on the proprietary D2 tool which assesses the attractiveness of each country by analyzing online tourism-related search data across the relevant brandtags, each comprising destination-specific keywords correlated to tourist activities and attractions. A total of 3,818,000 keywords were analyzed across nine languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese and Chinese.

Source: Bloom Consulting based on Country Brand Ranking, Tourism Edition. Available at http://www.bloom-consulting.com/pdf/rankings/Bloom_Consulting_Country_Brand_Ranking_Tourism.pdf

13.05 Attractiveness of natural assets

To what extent do international tourists visit your country mainly for its natural assets (i.e. parks, beaches, mountains, wildlife, etc.)? (1 = not at all; 7 = to a great extent)| 2015–2016 weighted average

Source: World Economic Forum, Executive Opinion Survey

PILLAR 14: CULTURAL RESOURCES AND BUSINESS TRAVEL

14.01 Number of World Heritage cultural sites

Number of World Heritage cultural sites in the country | 2016

World Heritage cultural sites are those properties that the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value.

Source: UNESCO World Heritage List, available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/

14.02 Oral and intangible cultural heritage expressions

Number of oral and intangible heritage practices and expressions | 2016

Intangible cultural heritage practices are those practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills—as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith—that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment and their interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity. The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage evaluates annually nominations proposed by States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and decides whether or not to inscribe those cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage on the Convention’s Lists. For more details about the criteria for inscription, please visit http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00174.

Source: UNESCO World Heritage List, available at http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?lg=en&pg=00011

14.03 Number of large sports stadiums

Total number of sports stadiums with a capacity larger than 20,000 million seats | 2016

The count of stadiums with a capacity of 20,000 seats or larger is a proxy for the ability of the country to host significant sports or entertainment events (i.e. concerts, shows).

Source: Author’s calculation based on Worldstadiums.com

14.04 Number of international association meetings

Number of international association meeting held in the country annually | 2013-2015

This indicator measures the average number of international associations meetings held annually in each country between 2013 and 2015. These figures are based on the ICCA Association Database, which includes meetings organized by international associations, matching the following criteria: a) take place on a regular basis, b) rotate between a minimum of three countries and, c) have at least 50 participants.

Source: The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)

14.05 Cultural and entertainment tourism digital demand

Number of online searches index (0–100 scale, where 100 is best) | 2016

This indicator measures the total online search volume related to the following cultural brandtags: Historical Sites, Local People, Local Traditions, Museums, Performing Arts, UNESCO, City Tourism, Religious Tourism, Local Gastronomy, Entertainment Parks, Leisure Activities, Nightlife and Special Events. The calculation is based on the proprietary D2 tool which assesses the attractiveness of each country by analyzing online tourism-related search data across the relevant brandtags, each comprising destination-specific keywords correlated to tourist activities and attractions. A total of 3,818,000 keywords were analyzed across nine languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese and Chinese.

Source: Bloom Consulting based on Country Brand Ranking, Tourism Edition. Available at http://www.bloom-consulting.com/pdf/rankings/Bloom_Consulting_Country_Brand_Ranking_Tourism.pdf