The Philippines has strengthened its position in the global
tourism sector, advancing eight places to 57th out of 110 economies in
the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index.
With a score of 4.08, the country was identified as
the seventh-fastest improving economy in the latest edition of the
global benchmark. The WEF also classified the Philippines among the largest
non-high-income travel and tourism economies, a group it considers critical to
the industry’s future expansion.
The improvement was supported by gains across several areas,
particularly tourism sustainability, transport connectivity, safety and
security, and policy conditions.
One of the most significant advances came in environmental
sustainability. The Philippines climbed to 29th place from 64th in the
travel and tourism sustainability dimension, with the WEF pointing to
improvements in nature protection and wastewater treatment.
Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the
country’s natural and cultural assets remain central to its tourism appeal,
while emphasizing that development must be matched by responsible stewardship.
The country also recorded substantial progress in
infrastructure. Its ground and port infrastructure ranking improved to 49th,
reflecting stronger assessments in areas including seaport facilities, public
transportation and railway efficiency.
The Department of Tourism attributed the progress to
continued coordination with agencies responsible for transport and
infrastructure, covering improvements involving ports, railways, roads and
bridges.
Safety indicators likewise moved upward. The Philippines
climbed from 93rd to 73rd in the safety and security pillar, with the
DOT citing a decline in homicide incidents and coordination with the Philippine
National Police as contributing factors.
Policy and enabling conditions emerged as another major area
of improvement. The Philippines ranked 12th, compared with 33rd in 2019,
highlighting stronger conditions supporting tourism development and investment.
Angara-Mathay linked part of this progress to a 5.8
percent increase in government tourism spending, while acknowledging that
further work is needed to ensure tourism growth translates into tangible
benefits for local communities.
The 2026 TTDI evaluates economies through five dimensions
and 17 pillars, measuring the conditions that influence the sustainability,
resilience and long-term development of travel and tourism.
The Philippines was assessed alongside other major emerging
tourism markets, including China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand,
Vietnam, Türkiye, Mexico and Brazil.
The latest ranking suggests that the Philippines is improving across more than just visitor numbers. Like a tourism ecosystem that depends on several interconnected systems, sustained growth requires the country to strengthen its environment, infrastructure, security and policy framework at the same time.
Comments
Post a Comment