Turkey’s tourism ranks 46 out of 140 countries

ISTANBUL

This photo shows tourists in Cappadocia in the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir, which is one of the World Heritage Sites. The WEF report says Turkey’s main strength in tourism is its rich cultural resources. DHA photo

Turkey’s travel and tourism sector ranked 46 among 140 industrialized and emerging economies, climbing four positions from 2011, according to The Travel and Tourism (T&T) Competitiveness Report 2013 released by the World Economic Forum (WEF). 

The biannual report includes an analysis of the rankings of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), which aims to measure factors and policies such as policy rules and regulations, environmental sustainability, tourism infrastructure, natural resources and cultural resources, among others. The Index grades countries between 0 and 6 points. Turkey’s general assessment this year was 4.4 points, a 0.7-point increase from 2011. While Turkey ranks 46 among 140 countries, it also ranks 28 out of 42 European countries. “The country’s main strength continues to lie in its rich cultural resources (19th), with 20 World Heritage cultural sites, several international fairs and exhibitions, and strong creative industries. Turkey gains significantly in a number of areas and has seen a significant increase in tourist arrivals over the last two years,” according to the report.

The report shows that Turkey has improved its air transport infrastructure (29th) and its tourism infrastructure (45th). “However, some areas still hold back the overall T&T competitiveness performance of the country: although improving, safety and security issues (79th) remain worrisome, ground transport infrastructure is inadequate (especially railroads and ports), and information and communication technology infrastructure remains unsatisfactory (71st), especially for a rapidly growing tourism destination,” the report revealed, urging more efforts be made toward environmental sustainability (95th), an area that will be of increasing concern in the future.

Switzerland remains on top

Switzerland is ranked first out of all countries in the 2013 TTCI, a position it has held since the first edition of this Report in 2007. Germany, Austria, Spain, and the United Kingdom complete the top five, while France and Sweden are among the top 10 overall.

The report says it measures and analyzes the drivers of T&T competitiveness in economies around the world with its main goal being to provide a useful tool for governments and business leaders in overcoming the obstacles to T&T competitiveness.