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Top 10 countries for travel and tourism: Japan knocks US off top spot in WEF tourism index
Top 10 countries for travel and tourism in 2026: Japan claimed the top spot in the World Economic Forum's 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index, with a record 42.7 million international visitors last year.
Japan ranked No. 1 in the Travel and Tourism Development index released by World Economic Forum. (photo credit: unsplash)
Top 10 countries for travel and tourism: The World Economic Forum (WEF) has released its Travel and Tourism Development Index 2026, which assesses countries not only on tourism competitiveness but also on the sustainability and resilience of their travel sectors.
Japan topped the 2026 index, moving up two places and displacing the United States from No. 1. Australia also climbed two places to fourth, behind Spain. China, ranked eighth, recorded one of the fastest rates of improvement among the countries assessed.
Japan welcomed a record 42.7 million international visitors in 2025, according to the report.
WEF attributed part of the growth to efforts by the Japan National Tourism Organization to diversify tourism and promote regional destinations beyond major cities such as Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Osaka.
European countries continued to dominate the top tier of the Travel and Tourism Development Index, accounting for a majority of the 10 highest-ranked countries.
The US ranked second, followed by Spain and Australia. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom ranked fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively. China ranked eighth, Switzerland ninth, and Italy 10th.
The latest edition assesses factors including cultural and natural assets, infrastructure, and tourism’s socioeconomic impact.
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Despite geopolitical tensions, inflation and environmental challenges, international tourism reached a record 1.5 billion arrivals in 2025, according to WEF. About 307 million people travelled internationally in the first quarter of 2026 alone, pointing to a continued recovery in global travel following the pandemic downturn.
The sector also remained a major source of employment, supporting more than 366 million jobs worldwide in 2025 — about one in every 10 jobs globally.
WEF identified three pressures reshaping the tourism sector: price competitiveness, socioeconomic impact, and demand sustainability.
The index, published in collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group, has been tracking global travel and tourism for more than two decades. First published from 2007 to 2019, it was relaunched in 2022 with a broader focus that includes sustainable and resilient development.
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Top 10 countries for travel and tourism
| Rank | Country |
| 1. | Japan |
| 2. | USA |
| 3. | Spain |
| 4. | Australia |
| 5. | France |
| 6. | Germany |
| 7. | United Kingdom |
| 8. | China |
| 9. | Switzerland |
| 10. | Italy |
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