Albania posted the biggest gain in the World Economic Forum’s 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index, published with Zurich Insurance Group (SIX:ZURN) on September 25.
Albania lifted its score by 7.0% since 2024, ahead of Vietnam on 6.3% and Laos on 6.1%. Asia-Pacific holds seven of the 10 most-improved places, with South-East Asia advancing faster than any other subregion, even as destinations such as Hanoi run short of branded hotel supply. The top of the table is still dominated by advanced economies.
Japan ranks first with a score of 5.27, ahead of the US on 5.23 and Spain on 5.22. Advanced economies take nine of the top 10 places, with China in eighth the only exception, and Europe has six economies in the top 10.
The index scores 110 economies across 17 pillars covering infrastructure, systems, workforce and policy, rather than visitor numbers or spending. Some 92% of economies raised their score between 2024 and 2026, and the average score rose 2.1%, the fastest improvement since 2019.
The report says resilience now separates destinations, citing aviation disruption linked to the conflict in Iran and heatwaves and wildfires across Europe and North America. “The places that plan for disruption recover faster and maintain travelers’ trust,” said Cara Morton, CEO Global Businesses and Operations at Zurich.
A record 1.5bn people travelled internationally in 2025, and the sector contributed $11.6 trillion to the global economy. However, 75% of economies became less affordable for travellers, and the sector faces a shortfall of 43mn workers by 2035.
The report sets five priorities: spreading demand across markets and seasons, keeping transport and digital systems running during disruption, competing on value, sharing gains with local communities and building workforce capacity.
Zurich Insurance Group is headquartered in Zurich and serves more than 82mn customers in over 200 countries and territories.