Global tourism resilience under pressure as international travel hits record high

The ability of destinations to withstand disruption is becoming increasingly important as international travel reaches record levels, according to a new global tourism index developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with Zurich Insurance.

The Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2026 assessed 110 economies across areas including infrastructure, policy, services, sustainability, and resilience, examining the conditions needed to support long-term tourism growth rather than simply measuring visitor numbers or spending.

A record 1.5 billion people travelled internationally in 2025, with travel and tourism contributing US$11.6 trillion to the global economy.

However, the report warned that the sector was facing mounting pressures from geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, climate-related events, and digital outages – creating challenges for destinations as well as the insurers, assistance providers, and travel risk specialists supporting travellers when disruption occurs.

Recent aviation disruption linked to the conflict in Iran, alongside heatwaves and wildfires in Europe and North America, were cited as examples of how quickly tourism infrastructure can come under pressure.

The report argued that destination resilience increasingly depends on the ability to keep travellers moving and informed during disruption, protect critical infrastructure, and restore normal operations and traveller confidence quickly.

Cara Morton, CEO Global Businesses and Operations at Zurich Insurance Group, said: “The places that plan for disruption recover faster and maintain travellers’ trust. That’s not just good risk management. It’s how you stay competitive.”

Japan leads global index

Japan ranked first in the 2026 index, followed by the US, Spain, Australia, and France. Germany placed sixth, with the UK seventh, followed by China, Switzerland, and Italy.

Overall conditions improved across most destinations, with 92% of the economies assessed recording a higher score than in 2024. Albania was the most improved economy, followed by Vietnam and Laos, while seven of the 10 fastest-improving destinations were in Asia Pacific.

However, increased travel demand is also creating new pressures. Tourism prices have risen faster than general inflation in many markets, with 75% of economies becoming less affordable for travellers. Investment has also failed to keep pace with demand since 2022, while the global travel and tourism sector is forecast to face a workforce shortfall of 43 million people by 2035.

The report set out five priorities for strengthening tourism resilience, including diversifying demand across markets and seasons, maintaining transport and digital infrastructure during disruption, investing in service quality, supporting local communities, and building workforce capacity.

For the travel insurance and assistance sectors, the findings underline the growing importance of destination preparedness as traveller volumes increase alongside exposure to extreme weather, geopolitical disruption, infrastructure failures, and other events capable of generating widespread travel disruption and assistance demand.