Tunisia Drops Four Spots in the 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI)

Tunisia has fallen four places in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI). The country now ranks 82nd out of 110 economies globally, while maintaining its 7th position in Africa. Published on September 25, 2026, in collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group, the index measures the conditions that enable the tourism sector to develop in a sustainable and resilient manner.

Global and Continental Rankings

Tunisia achieved a score of 3.62 out of 7. In the continental ranking, it trails behind Mauritius, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania, and Kenya, while outperforming countries such as Botswana, Algeria, and Namibia.

Globally, Japan takes the top spot with a score of 5.27, followed by the United States and Spain. The top ten economies are:

Japan
United States
Spain
Australia
France
Germany
United Kingdom
China
Switzerland
Italy

Methodology: Measuring Structural Conditions

The TTDI does not rank countries based on tourist arrivals, revenue, or expenditure. Instead, it assesses the robustness of the environment in which tourism can thrive. The index is built on 17 pillars and 102 indicators, grouped into five key dimensions:

Enabling Environment
Travel & Tourism Policy and Enabling Conditions
Infrastructure and Services
Tourism Resources
Sustainability

Key criteria include the business environment, security, human resources, digital readiness, openness to tourism, price competitiveness, air infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and environmental and socioeconomic sustainability. Data is sourced from the WEF’s executive survey and international statistical databases. All indicators are normalized on a scale of 1 to 7 before calculating the overall score.

Contextualizing the Drop in Ranking

The four-place decline for Tunisia does not necessarily indicate a proportional deterioration in its tourism development conditions. The WEF notes that 92% of the economies studied improved their scores between 2024 and 2026, with the global average rising by 2.1%. Consequently, a country can improve its absolute score yet lose ranking positions if other economies progress at a faster rate.

The WEF also highlights a significant methodological limitation: the 2026 edition incorporated data revisions and adjustments to ensure greater consistency in historical comparisons. Results from 2019, 2021, and 2024 were recalculated using the current methodology.

Global Tourism Outlook

The global tourism landscape remains robust. International arrivals reached a record 1.5 billion in 2025. The total contribution of the travel and tourism sector to the global economy hit $11.6 trillion, representing nearly 10% of global GDP.

However, the WEF emphasizes that the primary challenge has shifted. It is no longer just about post-pandemic recovery, but about managing growth in the face of rising costs, investment needs, human resource tensions, and environmental constraints.

Implications for Tunisia

For destinations like Tunisia, the TTDI provides a critical assessment of the structural conditions necessary for tourism competitiveness. Key areas for focus include:

Infrastructure and connectivity
Digital readiness
Resource management
Business environment
The capacity to make tourism growth more sustainable