Travel and Tourism Department Index comes bearing good as well as bad information. In the global travel and tourism index, India ranks in 54th place. However, in 2019, India stood in 46th place. But this is not it. India still continues to top in South Asia travel list. India is slowly recovering from the damages caused by the pandemic. As per the World Economic Forum (WEF) study, India’s travel and tourism sector has shown ‘signs of recovery.’
The study was titled Travel and Tourism Index 2021: Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future. In order to measure the development, and see how far countries have come, the study read,” The set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the T&T sector, which in turn contributes to the development of a country”. The year index consists of five subindexes, 17 pillars and 12 individual indicators. The top ten countries mentioned on the list are Japan, followed by the US, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, UK, Singapore and Italy.
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WEF noted that the tourism sector recovery was successful due to an increase in vaccination rates, stringent travel restrictions and economic growth. In some cases, recovery is still slow due to uneven "vaccine distribution, capacity constraints, labour shortages, supply chain disruption". In an interview, Lauren Uppink, head of aviation, travel and tourism at the WEF, said, ” Covid shutdowns have re-emphasised the important contribution travel and tourism makes to many economies around the world. As the world emerges from the pandemic, economies must invest in building a strong and resilient environment to deliver the travel and tourism experience and services for many decades to come.”
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In order to support long-term development, effective efforts need to be taken. Uppink added,” This will require decision-makers to restore consumer confidence and international openness by prioritizing such things as enhanced health and security measures, encouraging inclusive labour practices, improving environmental sustainability and investing in digital technology.”
According to the study, the international tourist arrivals have increased by 18 million in January 2022. If looking at the same period in 2021, the percentage was just 67 percent, lower than 2019 levels.
