Japan tops World Economic Forum 2026 tourism index

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released its 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI), ranking the world’s top tourism hotspots based on infrastructure, policy, and sustainability. Japan has risen to the top of the list, overtaking the United States, which holds second place, and Spain, which ranks third.

European nations continue to show strong performance, occupying six of the top ten positions, including France, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, and Italy. Other high-ranking destinations include Australia and China, both of which are improving faster than the global average. The index notes that 92 percent of ranked economies improved their scores, with international tourist arrivals reaching a record 1.5 billion in 2025.