India climbs nine places to 31st in WEF travel and tourism index
India’s improved ranking reflects strong cost competitiveness, cultural assets and infrastructure gains, supporting its visitor-economy potential. Skills, environmental sustainability and tourism-infrastructure quality remain key constraints.
What happened
World Economic Forum · India rose nine places to 31st in the WEF Travel and Tourism Development Index, supported by cost competitiveness, cultural assets and
Key facts
- India ranked 31st, up 9 places
- Japan ranked 1st
- 101 of 110 economies improved scores between 2024 and 2026
- Average score rose 2.1%
- 92% of economies improved since 2024
- Travel became less affordable in 3 out of 4 economies
Why this matters
India’s higher tourism ranking makes local hospitality, travel-services and destination-infrastructure partnerships more attractive, particularly for platforms that can add operational standards and scalable capacity.
What to watch
- International tourist arrival growth and average spend per visitor
- New airline routes, seat capacity and airport/rail terminal upgrades
- E-visa policy changes, visa processing times and source-market connectivity
- Hotel occupancy, ADR and short-term rental demand in leisure and pilgrimage markets
- Public and private investment in sanitation, wayfinding, transport and destination infrastructure
- Tourism-skills hiring, attrition and service-quality indicators
- Environmental restrictions, extreme weather and carrying-capacity limits at major destinations
- Prioritize store, kiosk and pop-up expansion near airports, rail gateways, heritage circuits, pilgrimage centers and high-performing leisure destinations.
- Localize assortments for tourists: portable gifts, regional products, multilingual packaging, travel-size beauty, ready-to-eat food and payment options for foreign cards and wallets.
- Build destination-specific demand forecasts using hotel occupancy, flight capacity, visa issuance, rail bookings and event calendars.
- Partner with hotels, tour operators, OTAs and experience platforms for bundled offers and tourist discovery.
- Stress-test operations for peak-season staffing, inventory replenishment, crowd management and last-mile delivery constraints.