The Philippines ranked 75th among 117 countries assessed by We Forum on key factors in enabling the sustainable and resilient growth of travel and tourism economies.
The Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021 report released yesterday cited the Philippines’ dependence on the sector for growth.
The TTDI index took on the theme
Rebuilding for a Sustainable and Resilient Future and revealed the need to prepare for future headwinds, as sector shows signs of recovery
The biennial travel and tourism study finds a recovering sector following pandemic lows, but the recovery has been uneven and challenges remain.
Japan, the United States, Spain, France and Germany topped the list.
Among countries in Asean, the report said Vietnam experienced the greatest improvement in score (from 60th to 52nd) on the overall index, while Indonesia jumped 44th to 32nd.
“COVID shutdowns have re-emphasized the important contribution travel and tourism makes to many economies around the world,” said Lauren Uppink, head of Aviation, Travel and Tourism at the World Economic Forum. “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.”
While overall international tourism and business travel is still below pre-pandemic levels, the sector recovery has been bolstered by greater vaccination rates, return to more open travel, and growing demand for domestic and nature-based tourism.
The report cited uneven vaccine distribution, capacity constraints, labour shortages, supply chain disruptions as among the hurdles to recovery. – Irma Isip
