Tourism, Italy enters the world top ten but behind Spain and France

The end of pandemic-related restrictions and pent-up demand will lead tourist arrivals to reach pre-Covid levels in 2024, a target already met in 2023 by tourism's contribution to world GDP (3.3 trillion dollars, or 3% of toatòe). In the meantime, however, factors such as inflation, interest rates, conflicts in Europe and the Middle East are holding back the travel industry. In addition, airline and tourism infrastructure, together with services, remain below pre-Covid levels. A context in which Italy improves and enters the top ten destinations, although it remains behind Spain , its main competitor in Mediterranean Europe (second), and France (fourth).

This is what emerges from the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 published by the World Economic Forum (Wef), a global index that "measures the set of factors and policies aimed at the sustainable and resilient development of the travel and tourism sector, which in turn contributes to a country's development". Specifically, the index is a combination of five factors (enabling environment, policies for the sector, infrastructure and services, resources and sustainability) for a total of 102 indicators. "Given that the travel and tourism sector has historically been worth one-tenth of global GDP and employment," the report stresses, "policymakers must recognise the need for strategic and holistic approaches" to unlock its potential.

Topping the list, compiled by the Geneva-based organisation in collaboration with the British University of Surrey, are the United States, followed by Spain , Japan , France, Australia, Germany, Britain, China and, in ninth position, the Italy which gains three positions compared to the previous report. Among the top 30 countries, 19 are from Europe, seven from Asia, three from the Americas and one from the Middle East and North Africa (it is the United Arab Emirates that climb four positions). Uzbekistan showed the strongest growth in the score: between 2019 and 2024 it climbed 16 rungs (from 94th to 78th place). Also doing well were Indonesia (+14 places in four years) and Albania (+12).

In the ranking that takes into account 119 economies, Italy is unbeatable for cultural resources (a 'pillar' that measures not only the availability of archaeological sites and historical structures but the way in which these resources are promoted and developed): 6.74 is the highest value in the world, closely followed only by Japan (6.71) and Spain (6.64). Italian results were also good on 'health services and hygiene' (5.88) and 'preparation on information & technology' (5.85). Bad, on the other hand, on price competitiveness (3.15), the socio-economic impact of tourism - i.e. the sector's contribution to the economy, wages and gender wage equality - with 3.46, and sustainability of demand (which also includes the overcrowding risk) with 3.53. This value is still above the Southern European average of 3.26.