Sri Lanka has been ranked among the world’s 10 fastest-improving travel and tourism economies in the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI).
According to the latest index, Sri Lanka recorded a 4.3% improvement in its TTDI score between 2024 and 2026, placing the country 10th among economies showing the largest gains during the period.
Albania topped the list of fastest improvers with a 7% increase, followed by Viet Nam at 6.3%, Laos at 6.1%, Qatar at 6%, Malaysia at 5.8%, Thailand at 5.6%, the Philippines and Morocco at 5.5% each, Nepal at 5.1% and Sri Lanka at 4.3%.
The World Economic Forum said emerging tourism markets, particularly in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East and North Africa regions, were improving their competitiveness faster than many established destinations.
Overall, 92% of the 110 economies assessed in the 2026 index improved their scores from 2024, while the global average increased by 2%.
The index evaluates countries across 17 pillars covering areas including tourism infrastructure, air connectivity, cultural and natural resources, enabling conditions and sustainability.
Japan was ranked the world’s top-performing travel and tourism economy in 2026, followed by the United States, Spain, Australia and France.
The findings come as global tourism continues its post-pandemic expansion, with a record 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals recorded in 2025, according to the World Economic Forum. (Newswire)
