THE Philippines’ improved standing in the global tourism competitiveness index could help bolster the country’s position as a destination for visitors and tourism investment, even as the industry faces higher travel costs, infrastructure gaps and sustainability pressures.
The Philippines climbed eight places to 57th out of 110 economies in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI), making it the seventh-fastest improving economy in the latest ranking.
Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the improvement reflected gains from investments in airports, seaports, local markets and cultural destinations.
The ranking comes at a challenging time for the global travel and tourism industry. The WEF said travel became less affordable in three out of four economies between 2024 and 2026, while investment has struggled to keep pace with demand and labor shortages continue to constrain the sector.
Stronger points in several areas
For the Philippines, the stronger ranking points to improvements in several areas that underpin tourism activity, including connectivity, sustainability, safety and policy support.
The country posted its biggest improvement in travel and tourism sustainability, rising to 29th from 64th. The gain was driven by stronger scores in nature protection and wastewater treatment.
The Philippines also ranked second globally in the Travel and Tourism Demand Sustainability pillar, supported by a significant improvement in geographically dispersed tourism. Its score in this area rose to 5.2 from 3.2 out of 7.
The gains come as the country seeks to spread tourism activity beyond established destinations and increase the economic benefits reaching local communities.
“Our islands, reefs, forests, and heritage sites are what make the Philippines worth visiting,” Angara-Mathay said. She added that protecting these assets while managing tourism growth would remain a priority.
The Philippines also made substantial gains in ground transport and port connectivity, rising to 49th from 80th. The improvement was supported by higher ratings for seaport, public transport and train efficiency.
The tourism department attributed the progress to coordination with the Department of Transportation, Civil Aeronautics Board, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and Department of Public Works and Highways on improvements to airports, seaports, railways, roads and bridges.
The country’s safety and security ranking also improved, moving to 73rd from 93rd, while its policy and enabling conditions ranking rose to 12th from 33rd in 2019.
Government tourism spending increased to 5.8 percent of the national budget from 3.1 percent over the period, according to the index.
Meanwhile, culture and heritage posted the largest score increase among the Philippines’ 17 tourism pillars, rising 43 percent since 2019. The country moved to 38th from 52nd in the category, with five Unesco Creative Cities now recognized, compared with one in 2019.
The Philippines was also recently recognized as the Global Dive Destination of the Year at the Adex Big Blue Legacy Awards 2026 and as Best Dive Destination at the DRT Show Shanghai 2026.
The latest recognition could support the country’s efforts to strengthen its tourism brand, particularly for nature- and culture-based travel, as competition among destinations intensifies.
However, the WEF ranking measures the conditions that enable tourism development rather than actual visitor arrivals or tourism revenues. Its findings therefore do not necessarily translate directly into higher tourist numbers or spending.
The Philippines scored 4.08 out of seven overall and was identified by the WEF as one of the world’s 10 major emerging tourism economies, alongside China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Türkiye, Mexico and Brazil.
The TTDI evaluates economies across five dimensions and 17 pillars using 102 indicators covering the factors that support sustainable and resilient tourism development. / KOC