How delightful the evenings are in Urgench
Uzbekistan dropped four positions in the WEF tourism ranking — to 76th place
How Delightful the Evenings in Urgench Are
Uzbekistan ranked 76th among 110 countries in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, receiving 3.69 points out of a possible seven. Compared to the 2024 ranking, the country dropped four positions, and its score decreased by 1.1%.
At the same time, in the long term, Uzbekistan has improved its position: since 2019, it has risen seven places, and its score has increased by 4.8%.
In Central Asia, Uzbekistan lags behind Kazakhstan, which took 56th place with a score of 4.09 points. Kyrgyzstan is positioned in 93rd place with 3.44 points.
Kazakhstan also lost four positions compared to 2024, although its score increased by 1.6%. Kyrgyzstan, on the contrary, rose two positions, and its progress amounted to 2.2%.
Tajikistan is absent from the 2026 ranking: the WEF excluded the country from the index's coverage along with Barbados, Cambodia, Iran, Lebanon, Moldova, Montenegro, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
What the Index Shows
The TTDI does not assess the actual number of tourists or industry revenues, but rather the conditions for the sustainable and resilient development of tourism. The index includes 17 indicators, among which are the business environment, safety and security, human resources, digital readiness, openness to tourism, price competitiveness, transport infrastructure, and natural and cultural resources.
In 2026, improvements in indicators were recorded in 101 out of 110 countries. The average index score rose by 2.1% compared to 2024. Conditions improved most rapidly in the Asia-Pacific region, where the average score increased by 3.6%.
Top 10 Countries in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Japan — 5.27 points
USA — 5.23
Spain — 5.22
Australia — 5.18
France — 5.17
Germany — 5.09
United Kingdom — 5.08
China — 5.00
Switzerland — 4.97
Italy — 4.93
In the WEF 2026 ranking, Japan took first place, overtaking the USA; Australia rose to the fourth position. The top 10 included nine developed economies and China.
Global Tourism Continues to Grow
According to the WEF, in 2025, international tourist arrivals reached a record 1.5 billion, increasing by 5% over the year. The total contribution of tourism to the global economy amounted to $11.6 trillion, and the industry supported about 366 million jobs.
The development of tourism faces rising costs, as well as shortages of investment and labor. In 75% of the countries included in the index, price competitiveness decreased in 2024–2026. The WEF also notes that investment in tourism is not keeping pace with growing demand, and labor shortages could limit the further development of the industry.