India’s 31st Rank in TTDI 2026 Shows that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of ‘Development as well as Heritage’ Is Now Visible on the Ground

Tourism in a country does not grow merely because it has beautiful mountains, ancient temples or beaches. A tourist needs good roads and flights to reach a destination. There should be hotels or homestays for accommodation. Correct information, safety, cleanliness and good behaviour are also essential. Above all, the tourist needs an experience that they can remember for a lifetime. The World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index assesses these very aspects. Its 2026 report shows that India has taken strong steps in this direction.

India has moved from 65th position in the world in 2014 to 39th in 2024 and has now moved further ahead to rank 31st among 160 economies. Our overall score is 4.42, which is 4.3 per cent higher than in 2024. Compared to the 2019 score of 4.36, recalculated using the new methodology, this is also an increase of 1.4 per cent. India ranks first among South Asian and lower-middle-income countries. This is not merely an improvement in ranking. It is global recognition of the impact of the tourism policy being pursued on the principle of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of “Development as well as Heritage”.

To understand this year’s ranking, one point needs to be understood. The 2019 index had four major areas and 90 indicators. In 2026, countries have been assessed on 17 pillars and 102 indicators. Indicators based on people’s perceptions have declined from 33 to 18. This means that the assessment is now based more heavily on actual data. The number of countries has also decreased from 140 to 110, so it would not be appropriate to directly compare the old and new rankings. However, the increase in........

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