India scales 13 positions on WEF Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index

India has climbed to the 52nd position in the biennial Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), released by the World Economic Forum (WEF). In the 2013 ranking, the country ranked 65th. Spain, France, Germany, US, UK, Switzerland, Australia, Italy, Japan, and Canada make up the top ten countries on the list.

The 2015 report ranks 141 countries across 14 separate dimensions, revealing how countries deliver sustainable economic and societal benefits through their travel and tourism sector.

Releasing the biennial list, WEF said India's relevance as a business travel destination is increasing, along with its economic growth. It remains a highly price-competitive destination and recent changes in its visa regime have the potential to boost the international arrivals.

However, emerging market peers like China (17th), Brazil (28th), Russia (45th), and South Africa (48th) are still ahead of India on the Index. According to WEF, long-standing infrastructure gaps remain in India, especially in tourism-specific infrastructure (where India is ranked 109th) and the quality of roads. The country also lags in health and hygiene (106th) and information-, communications-, and technology-readiness (114th). The safety and security situation is unsettling, with a perceived increase in the impact of crime and violence (97th), and India ranks only 139th for environmental sustainability.
Source: http://goo.gl/fzjHvX