by It was Mark Twain or Benjamin Disraeli who came up with the adage about “lies, damned lies, and statistics”, and the unreliability of large numbers used to strengthen very obvious arguments. Twain once claimed to have taken the phrase from a former British prime minister, although it does not appear in Disraeli’s papers, and there is no recorded incident in which he said it. So maybe Twain should take the compliment. He was, of course, a man – the real Samuel Clemens – who spent his career behind a pen name, so he probably deserves credit for a few wise words about disconnection.
Still, it doesn’t matter who the foundation is, the five mulch bons usually jump to mind when you are presented with an impressive survey, packed with heavy figures and calculations.
Such is the case with the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) – a biennial report, compiled by the World Economic Forum, whose 2024 edition was published last month. This is only the second version of this great book – but the first (the original document came out in 2022) looked at the state of the global tourism industry without the tightening of Covid restrictions cramming its results.
With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the main focus is on the recovery of the planet. The biggest headline is that international travel has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels. But just – and the sector is only 0.7 percent higher than where it was in 2019, and until then, if the scores are averaged across the entire globe.
This was probably evident on your last trip to an airport, where there were queues and delays de rigueur before covid reappeared, and its regularity. In short, people are traveling again, as they did five years ago. Onward and upward.
But if you are down for this top “discovery”, the TTDI also serves a range of interesting titits and pieces of information – mainly ranking 119 countries in order of their strength as travel destinations. In this case, “strength” means “being good at a place that people can visit and want to visit, based on various factors”.
Which, in no particular order, equates to important matters such as travel infrastructure (airports, road networks and the like, to ensure you can get around), safety and security (is it safe to get there and stay there?) , natural and cultural resources (are there nice, interesting things to notice, and is it all properly protected?) – and, perhaps most importantly, prioritizing tourism (is tourism being asking and actively promoting it, rather than putting it up and perpetuating it?).
All solid metrics, you might say. Although they are also a type of metric that reflects developed economies and rich countries. Undoubtedly, there are no real shocks or unexpected outliers in the upper reaches of the list they put up. The United States will crown the top 10, Spain second and Japan (2022 winner) third. Then came France in fourth place, Australia in fifth place, Germany in sixth place and Britain in seventh place. China (eighth), Italy (ninth) and Switzerland (10th) complete the membership of this elite club.
A club which, as it happens, has little turnover in membership. Of the 10 countries mentioned above, nine made the top 10 in the 2022 edition of the report – the only difference, apart from a slight change in order, being China’s jump from 12th place, at the expense of Singapore (a republic of the island in ninth place in 2022, ie but falls to 13th in 2024). Both 2022 and 2024 10 wins make sense.
Leaving aside the recent anti-tourism protests in Mallorca and Tenerife, which suggest that parts of Spain are no longer happy to be basked in the summer sun (and putting an end to the absurdity of felt the last time you tried to take a train across the UK. ), logic is alive and well here. These are great nations where things, in general, work – sure, well enough that you want to spend time there.
But the US’s rise to the summit makes the most sense. Second place in the 2022 poll certainly reflected the White House’s relative reluctance to reopen the borders as the powers of Covid waned – it was as late as November 2021 when the likes of New York JFK, Washington Dulles and LAX are filling up with international tourists. But with the virus in full retreat, and America’s airports fully open again, that anchor has now been lifted.
You could argue that the likes of JFK and LAX are odd examples to cite if you want to make a case that the US is a welcoming destination. The passport desks at the country’s busiest airports are rarely places where you meet a smiling face and a sunny outlook – what with all the questions about what you’re doing there, how far you intend to go you have to wait, and whether you are carrying the types of brushes. bank notes that indicate you are a drug baron, or that you intend to move to Ohio on the quiet.
But once you’ve jumped the dice, between the fingerprint scan and the stacked glare, America really yes a welcoming place. The true integrity of those efforts to “have a nice day” – or the “perfect choice” that accompanies even the most standard breakfast order in a downtown restaurant – may not always be reflected, but the position has been taken. at USA for a long time. that a bright disposition is better than a grimace and a frown.
And yes, you can pay more for this service culture, tagging up to 20 percent on the bottom of your bill. But ask yourself this: Do you prefer the enthusiasm and coffee refills of the Miami restaurant to the shrug and uncertainty of the Parisian waiter?
Beyond that, however (in)sincere the blessing is, there is plenty of authenticity elsewhere. From the Grand Canyon and Yosemite to Big Bend and the Badlands of South Dakota, much of the American landscape has depth and beauty, and the national parks that hold it sacrosanct. From Boston to Seattle through Austin, San Diego, Nashville and Denver, cities are alive with art and culture.
And, even better, you can travel between them. The complex web that is America’s air and road networks (the train system is a slower process) means you can easily jump from A to B and on to J – and if you want to stop in Detroit, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Omaha or St. Louis on the way, you can.
Admittedly, you can find much of the above in table-top Japan 2022, where the reception is more restrained, but always polite, and an excellent railway operation connects the neon lights of Tokyo with the temples of Kyoto – and the ghost stories. of Nagasaki beyond.
Perhaps, if time permits, you should tour both. Compare and contrast, that’s all.
But then, to return to Twain and/or Disraeli, there are “lies, damned lies and statistics”. And while an elevated position in the Index is certainly a fair guarantee of the quality of a destination, so a place towards the bottom is not the damning indictment it would have you believe.
The bottom reaches of the report mention Jamaica (84th) and Trinidad and Tobago (89th) – both home to some of the most glorious beaches on the planet, with warm weather to match. They also include Morocco (82nd) and Tunisia (83rd), where history and scenery shimmer and vibrate in souks, deserts and mountains. And he finds space for Zimbabwe (110th) – where the safari zones are alive with roar and claw.
True, your journey may be a little closer. You can’t zip around these countries on bullet trains, or expect flawless phone coverage in every square meter. But travel has always been about more than survey metrics, or the sheer numbers used to support them.
