Canada narrowly misses top ten in latest travel and tourism ranking

Canada’s Tourism Industry Aims to Improve Competitiveness

Canada’s tourism industry is striving to enhance its competitiveness on the global stage, as highlighted in the latest World Economic Forum ranking of countries for travel and tourism. The 2024 Travel and Tourism Development Index places Canada just outside the top 10, at number 11, with areas such as tourism infrastructure, openness to travel and tourism, cultural resources, and price competitiveness receiving relatively low scores.

Destination Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada have set a goal to elevate Canada’s ranking to the top seven by 2030. The report also reveals that Canada was ranked 13th in 2021 and ninth in 2019, indicating a decline in recent years.

Key areas where Canada lags behind compared to the United States include openness to travel and tourism, tourism services infrastructure, and cultural resources. Canadian tourism officials emphasize the need to deepen Canadians’ pride in their country and enhance the value of the tourism economy to attract more visitors and improve the overall industry.

To address these challenges, the industry is focusing on investing in core infrastructure, raising awareness of the tourism economy’s value, and attracting skilled professionals to work in the sector. Collaboration with partners like Destination Canada is crucial in driving these initiatives forward.

While Canada aims to boost its tourism competitiveness, other countries like New Zealand, Iceland, and Mexico have experienced fluctuations in their rankings. The top 25 countries in this year’s index include the United States, Spain, Japan, France, and Australia, with the United States retaining the top spot. As the industry works towards enhancing Canada’s tourism appeal, the goal is to create a more vibrant and competitive destination for travelers worldwide.