India was ranked 54th in a worldwide travel and tourism development index on Tuesday, down from 46th in 2019, but it remained first in South Asia.

The top 10 countries are Japan, the United States, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Italy.

The World Economic Forum's biennial travel and tourism report also revealed that the sector is recovering from pandemic lows, albeit the recovery is uneven and problems remain.

The Travel and Tourism Development Index evaluates 117 economies, identifying critical variables that enable travel and tourism economies to thrive sustainably and resiliently.

The World Economic Forum's Lauren Uppink, Head of Aviation, Travel, and Tourism, said, "The COVID-19 shutdowns have re-emphasized the significant contribution travel and tourism make to many economies around the world."

"As the world recovers from the epidemic, economies must invest in constructing a robust and resilient environment so that travel and tourism experiences and services can be delivered for many decades to come," Uppink added.

While total international tourism and business travel are still below pre-pandemic levels, the revival of the sector has been aided by higher vaccination rates, a return to more open travel, and increased demand for domestic and nature-based tourism.

Many businesses and tourist locations have adjusted to changing demand patterns.

"Estimates show that the difference in foreign visitor arrivals between January 2021 and January 2022 is bigger than the growth in arrivals for the entire year of 2021.

Apart from the United States, the top ten economies are all high-income economies in Europe or Asia-Pacific.

The Travel and Tourism Development Index 2021, according to the World Economic Forum, is a direct progression of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, which has been issued biennially for the past 15 years.