Spain, France, Germany, and Japan shared the limelight on the list of the world’s best countries for tourists in 2019, outshining 139 countries that boast buoyant megacities, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and breathtaking natural landscapes.
A new report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the travel and tourism sector revealed the top countries with excellent performance in terms of business, safety and security, health and hygiene, human resources and labor market, and information and communications technology readiness.
The report “The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 Travel and Tourism at a Tipping Point” also evaluated the areas of prioritization of tourism, international openness, tourist infrastructure, cultural and natural resources, and price competitiveness.
According to WEF’s report, the T&T Competitiveness Index 2019 “measures the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector, which contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country.”
Top four countries in the world
Known for football, paella, and Flamenco, Spain was the second most visited country in 2018, with 82.8 million tourists who arrived in the country. Among the popular tourist destinations in the country are the half-garden, half-palace Alhambra, the Sagrada Familia church, and the Aqueduct of Segovia. Spain’s economic strengths lie in its infrastructure and exports of good.
One of the major factors in the economic success of France is its tourism. With 37 sites included in UNESCO's World Heritage List, France is one of the most visited European countries. Tourists flock to Paris, where world-class museums like Louvre, and iconic landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, can be found. Â To date, France is the world's seventh largest economy by 2019 nominal figures and the 10th largest one by PPP figures.
Germany also took the top spot in the ranking, thanks to its rich culture and colorful cities, like Berlin, Munich, and Hamburg. The country is known for beer, bread, cars, and castles. Domestic and international travel and tourism contribute over EUR43.2 billion to the German gross domestic product (GDP).
Japan, imbued with history, traditional arts, and UNESCO World Heritage sites, is the most visited country in Asia Pacific. Tourists are dense in Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido, Chiba, and Okinawa. Japan is often lauded for its labor force, economic policies, and technological progress.
Based on the TTCI 2019 results, 101 of the 132 economies covered in both the 2019 and 2017 editions improved their score. “While mature, high-income economies continue to score higher on average, middle-income countries showed the greatest improvement in competitiveness, with
the subregions of Eurasia, the Balkans and Eastern Europe, South Asia and North Africa accounting for the greatest changes,” the report states.
Beyond Europe
From entertainment venues to marvelous sceneries, the tourist destinations in the US are never empty. Some of them are the Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon National Park, and the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The other popular attractions are theme parks, museums, outdoor recreation, and historical landmarks.
Also in the top five is UK. With over 40 million tourists recorded in 2018, UK is the world's sixth biggest tourist destination. Tourists are visible in London, Edinburgh, Oxford, Cambridge, York, and Canterbury. Top attractions include the Tower Bridge and Big Ben in London; the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh; Ancient Stonehenge and Medieval Salisbury; the Cotswolds and Lake District; and the Canterbury Cathedral.
Other achievers are Australia, Italy, Canada, and Switzerland. Portugal, China, Hong Kong, and Netherlands also made the list.
Sydney Opera House and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park are the highlights of many itineraries when in Australia. The Colosseum, the Venice Canal, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa are the favorites in Italy. Travelers never miss Niagara Falls and Jasper National Park when in Canada. The Matterhorn and Interlaken are the other two tourist spots in Switzerland.
The next ten are South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Mexico, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Luxemborg, Belgium, and Greece. The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019 examined data from international organizations and held a survey of executives.
“On the other hand, results also show that future demand for transportation services, especially regarding aviation, might outpace improvements in infrastructure capacity,” the report states. “More work also needs to be done to make sure cultural and natural assets are preserved in the face of growing tourism visits. While more environmental treaty ratifications and improvements to global average perceptions of the sustainability of T&T are encouraging signs, the continued rise in deforestation, air pollution and species endangerments point to potential gaps between policy and enforcement.”
