Economy
Ethiopia Excluded from Global 2026 Tourism Index Amid Record Growth
Capital Ethiopia · 5 hours ago · Read the Full Story on Capital Ethiopia
AI SUMMARY
Ethiopia was omitted from the World Economic Forum's 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index, even as the global tourism sector achieved record-breaking growth and the country advanced its own digital tourism initiatives.
- Ethiopia was omitted from the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index, resulting in no 2026 score or ranking.
- The WEF index evaluates 110 economies across 17 pillars including infrastructure, ICT readiness, sustainability, and policy environment.
- Sub-Saharan Africa showed modest improvements in the index, with Mauritius, South Africa, and Egypt ranking highest among African nations.
- Globally, 92 percent of assessed economies improved their scores between 2024 and 2026, with the average score increasing by approximately 2 percent.
- Japan secured the top position in the 2026 index, driven by a record 42.7 million international visitors in 2025, followed by the United States and Spain.
- International tourist arrivals reached a record 1.5 billion globally in 2025, contributing $11.6 trillion to global GDP and supporting 366 million jobs.
- Ethiopia is integrating artificial intelligence and digital technology into its tourism strategy despite its exclusion from the index.
- Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa stated that Ethiopia welcomed over 1.6 million foreign visitors in the 2018 Ethiopian fiscal year, marking an increase of over 300,000 visitors.
- Foreign-exchange earnings from tourism increased by 21 percent.
- Annual international events held in Addis Ababa increased from approximately 40 to 220 as part of a push to expand conference tourism.
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