If Australia’s postcard-worthy beaches or poster-child kangaroos weren’t enough to tempt potential travellers, this news might just do the trick. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has just released its highly-anticipated biennial ranking of the best countries for tourism and travel in 2024 – and Australia has claimed one of the top five spots.
It appears that Australia is on an uphill streak, climbing from the seventh-best tourism destination in 2017 to sixth in 2021, and now claiming fifth place in 2024. The United States took the top spot in the WEF’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024 (TTDI) for the third year running, with six European countries and three Asia-Pacific regions rounding out the top ten. That includes Spain in second, Japan in third and France in fourth.
Curious about how WEF’s economists came to these conclusions? They ranked 119 economies around the world based on a set of 17 factors related to the development of tourism and travel in each country. These factors included the availability of tourist services and infrastructure, sustainability, natural resources, labour capacity and price competitiveness. Most of the data was sourced from reputable international organisations, like the World Health Organisation, UNESCO and UN Tourism, with the rest coming from the WEF’s annual Executive Opinion Survey.
Here are five reasons why Australia ranked so high in the latest TTDI:
Natural resources
We’re pretty stoked to see that Australia ranked as the second-best country in the world for its natural resources. From ancient rainforests and majestic deserts to blindingly beautiful coastal areas, our Great Southern Land has it all. A road trip along the East Coast or the West is the best way to experience it, for both locals and tourists alike.
Cultural resources
A culture-packed holiday is also on the cards for anyone looking to visit Australia, with our nation ranking 17th out of 119 countries for its cultural resources. Our country is home to the world’s oldest continuous culture, with the stories of Australia’s First Nation’s people beautifully woven into our vibrant arts and culture landscape. Whether you’re staying in the city or venturing into the outback, you’ll find countless opportunities to walk in their footsteps and learn about the rich history of our land.
Digital savviness
Australia shines in the digital realm, ranking 14th globally for its top-notch digital infrastructure and services. Kudos were given for our seamless adoption of digital payments, widespread 3G mobile network coverage, and easy digital booking systems for hotels, restaurants and leisure activities.
Ease of travelling to and from Australia
We love welcoming travellers from every corner of the globe, earning us a commendable 16th place ranking on the openness to tourism and travel scale. Our relatively relaxed visa requirements make it easy for visitors to come, stay and play, while the strength of the Australian passport, which ranks among the world’s most powerful, lets Aussies travel almost anywhere their heart desires.
Infrastructure for tourists
There are sparkly, new hotels popping up all around Australia, so it makes sense that our nation ranked at number 17 for our availability of tourist services and infrastructure. Our labour productivity in hotels and restaurants was also taken into consideration here, reflecting our 'work hard, play hard' reputation.
You can read more about why Australia is one of the best tourism destinations in the full report here or check out this snapshot of the top ten countries:
- The United States
- Spain
- Japan
- France
- Australia
- Germany
- The United Kingdom
- China
- Italy
- Switzerland
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