World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Index 2024 has been announced. Accordingly, Turkey was among the top 30 countries with the biggest improvement in the sector. Turkey rose 8 places this year compared to the previous index.
The international tourism and travel industry aims to return to pre-pandemic levels this year. However, some challenges still remain. The Travel and Tourism Index 2024 (TTDI), prepared by the World Economic Forum (WEF) together with the University of Surrey, analyzes the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries, taking into account many factors.
According to the index, COVID-19 travel restrictions are expected to be lifted in 2024 and the deferred demand during the pandemic is expected to be strongly reflected in the tourism sector. More flights and increased investment in natural and cultural sites will contribute to the recovery in tourism. However, this recovery is happening at different speeds in each country. While 71 out of 119 countries have increased their tourism and travel scores since 2019, the average index score remains 0.7% below the pre-pandemic level.
The tourism industry has recovered from the shock of the pandemic, but is facing macroeconomic challenges, geopolitical and environmental risks, and the impact of new digital technologies such as artificial intelligence. At a time of continued labor constraints, airline capacity, capital investment and productivity improvements are not keeping pace with demand growth in the international travel sector. With the impact of global inflation, these imbalances are exacerbating price and service quality issues.
Turkey’s Rise
In the WEF’s index, 26 high-income economies are among the top 30 countries. Of these, 19 are in Europe, seven in Asia Pacific, three in the Americas and one in the Middle East. The top 10 countries are the United States, Spain, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy, Italy and Switzerland.
These results show that high-income economies generally have more favorable conditions for the development of the travel and tourism sector. Dynamic labor markets, open travel policies, strong transport and tourism infrastructure, and well-developed natural, cultural and recreational centers contribute to this development.
Among developing countries, China, Turkey, Indonesia and Brazil stand out. Turkey rose from 37th place in the previous index to 29th place this year. Indonesia ranks 22nd and Brazil 26th.
A Turning Point for the Travel and Tourism Industry
Francisco Betti, Head of Global Industries at WEF, said that this year is a turning point for the travel and tourism industry. Prof. Iis Tussyadiah, Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey, emphasized the need to create a strong environment for the travel and tourism sectors of different economies to thrive. “The sector has great potential to increase prosperity and reduce global risks, but this potential can only be fully realized through a strategic and inclusive approach,” said Tussyadiah.
