# Thailand’s tourism industry drops to 47th place in the World Economic Forum index

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/tourism/143020-thailands-tourism-industry-drops-to-47th-place-in-the-world-economic-forum-index
- Published: 2024-05-29T06:33:00+07:00
- Author: Boris Sullivan

Thailand drops in the World Economic Forum’s travel and tourism development index,**
from 36th place to 47th.** Tourism operators express disappointment in the government
for not improving the country’s position.

 * Thailand’s tourism industry **has dropped to 47th place in the World Economic
   Forum index, with a significant decline from 36th place in the previous year.**
 * The country’s tourist services and infrastructure received low scores, highlighting
   the need for improvement in these areas to support post-pandemic tourism rebound.
 * Tourism operators are urging the government to focus on long-term planning, collaboration,
   and infrastructure development to prevent further decline in the global tourism
   ranking.

Tourism operators criticize the lack of progress in infrastructure and services,
attributing the decline to a focus on existing selling points rather than development.
The Association of Thai Travel Agents plans to submit a white paper outlining threats
and obstacles to the Tourism Minister, emphasizing the need for a concrete long-
term plan and collaboration between public and private sectors.

ADVERTISEMENT

They also criticize the government’s focus on visiting provinces instead of addressing
core responsibilities. Concerns are expressed that without expedited development
and resolution of obstacles, Thailand’s ranking in the index could further decline.

The decline was more significant compared to the decrease in the 2021 index, when
Thailand fell from 35th to 36th place due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.**
Among Southeast Asian nations, three countries outperformed Thailand – Singapore(
ranked 13th), Indonesia (ranked 22nd), and Malaysia (ranked 35th)**. In comparison
to 2019, Thailand also dropped by six spots and fell behind the global average of
117 countries by 3.9%.

### Related**Posts**

###  󠀁[Phuket named top wellness destination by Canadian travellers](https://www.thailand-business-news.com/press-release/331672-phuket-named-top-wellness-destination-by-canadian-travellers)󠁿

###  󠀁[TAT highlights Thailand’s film production talents and tourism charm at TIFF 2026](https://www.thailand-business-news.com/tourism/329371-tat-highlights-thailands-film-production-talents-and-tourism-charm-at-tiff-2026)󠁿

###  󠀁[Weather and travel updates for Bangkok and its nearby regions](https://www.thailand-business-news.com/tourism/331213-weather-and-travel-updates-for-bangkok-and-its-nearby-regions)󠁿

###  󠀁[TAT highlights “Healing is the New Luxury” at the Tourism Expo Japan 2026](https://www.thailand-business-news.com/health/331124-tat-highlights-healing-is-the-new-luxury-at-the-tourism-expo-japan-2026)󠁿

Among Southeast Asian nations, three countries outperformed Thailand – Singapore,
which was ranked 13th, followed by Indonesia (22nd) and Malaysia (35th). Compared
to 2019, Thailand also fell by six spots and lagged the global average of 117 countries
by 3.9%.

Thailand, classified as an upper-middle-income country in this index,** received
the lowest score for tourist services and infrastructure at 2.18 out of 7**, and
the overall index for infrastructure and services also recorded a low average score
of 3.61.