In a report, the organization estimates that the sector worldwide should return to its pre-pandemic activity this year.
Switzerland has fallen in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) tourism competitiveness index, reaching 10th place. In a report, the organization estimates that the sector worldwide should return to its pre-pandemic activity this year.
In the index, Switzerland returns to its rank of five years ago. During the pandemic, it had held up better than others, coming in sixth place in 2021.
It remains among the leaders on issues such as the business environment, the labor market, infrastructure, whether air, land and port, or environmental sustainability. On the other hand, still a big problem for it, it is even less competitive on prices than before.
In the index, the United States is ahead of Spain and Japan. The Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa lead the recovery rates of international tourist arrivals. And developing countries have advanced on their side, with China entering the top ten for the first time.
Among the challenges, the sector faces political uncertainties, sustainability problems and a lack of labor. The increase in demand and the lifting of the latest restrictions linked to the pandemic should allow it to regain a share in gross domestic product (GDP) similar to that before the coronavirus.
Last year, Europe, Africa and the American continent already reached 90% of this volume. Of the top 30, around 90% are rich countries and two thirds are on the European continent. And the WEF calls for more investment for sustainable economic progress in this activity, in particular to develop natural resources and reduce the gap between rich and developing countries.
