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Nepal Records Strong Gains in WEF Tourism Index 2026

Nepal has recorded several notable gains in the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2026, standing out globally for affordability, tourism policy conditions, demand sustainability and the pace of its overall improvement.

Nepal scored 3.55 out of 7 in the 2026 index and ranked 86th among 110 economies. Its score increased by 5.1% from 2024, when its recalculated score stood at 3.38.

The improvement made Nepal the 9th fastest-improving economy globally between 2024 and 2026. Nepal also recorded the strongest overall TTDI improvement among South Asian economies during the period.

Nepal Ranks 4th Globally for Price Competitiveness

One of Nepal’s strongest results comes from Price Competitiveness, where the country ranks 4th globally with a score of 5.96 out of 7.

In simple terms, this indicates that affordability and competitive travel costs remain major strengths for Nepal’s tourism sector.

Price Competitiveness measures how costly it is to visit, travel within and operate in an economy. Nepal’s position is particularly notable at a time when affordability is becoming a wider challenge for global tourism.

According to the World Economic Forum, Price Competitiveness declined in 75% of TTDI-ranked economies between 2024 and 2026, with the global average falling by 3.1%.

Nepal Ranks 6th for Tourism Policy Conditions

Nepal performs even more strongly when the broader policy environment for tourism is considered.

The country ranks 6th globally in Travel & Tourism Policy and Enabling Conditions, with a score of 5.06 out of 7.

Within this area, Nepal ranks 21st globally for Prioritization of Travel & Tourism, with a score of 5.32.

These rankings indicate that tourism policy and the priority given to the sector are among Nepal’s strongest areas in the 2026 index.

Nepal Becomes 9th Fastest-Improving Economy

Nepal’s overall TTDI score increased from 3.38 in 2024 to 3.55 in 2026, representing growth of approximately 5.1%.

That improvement places Nepal 9th among the fastest-improving economies covered by the 2026 index.

Nepal also moved eight positions upward to 86th overall.

The country’s recalculated TTDI score has shown a continuing upward trend:

• 2019: 3.32

• 2021: 3.35

• 2024: 3.38

• 2026: 3.55

The World Economic Forum cautions that historical comparisons should use the recalculated figures published with the 2026 edition because changes in methodology, indicators and economy coverage limit direct comparisons with figures originally published in previous editions.

Nepal Records Strongest Improvement in South Asia

Nepal recorded the strongest overall TTDI score improvement in South Asia between 2024 and 2026.

Nepal’s score increased 5.1%, compared with increases of 4.3% for India, 4.3% for Sri Lanka and 1.6% for Bangladesh. Pakistan’s score declined by 0.7% over the same period.

Despite this rapid improvement, Nepal’s overall score of 3.55 remains below the reported South Asian average of 3.71.

Nepal’s ICT Readiness Records Biggest Improvement

Another major positive development comes from digital readiness.

Nepal’s ICT Readiness score increased by 21% between 2024 and 2026, the largest percentage improvement among all 110 economies included in the index.

This does not mean Nepal ranks first globally in ICT Readiness. Nepal’s actual ICT Readiness position remains 98th. Rather, Nepal recorded the largest improvement in the pillar during the two-year period.

ICT Readiness covers factors including internet access, broadband connectivity, mobile networks, digital payments, online platforms and electricity reliability — areas that increasingly influence how travellers research destinations, make bookings and payments and access services.

Nepal’s Other Strong Global Rankings

Beyond affordability and tourism policy, Nepal recorded several other relatively strong positions:

• 4th — Price Competitiveness / Affordability

• 6th — T&T Policy & Enabling Conditions

• 9th — Fastest-Improving Economy, 2024–2026

• 16th — T&T Demand Sustainability

• 21st — Prioritization of Travel & Tourism

• 33rd — T&T Sustainability

• 42nd — T&T Socioeconomic Impact

• 47th — Safety & Security

Nepal scored 4.74 out of 7 in T&T Demand Sustainability, placing it 16th globally, while its broader T&T Sustainability score of 4.41 puts it 33rd.

Safety and Security is another comparatively strong area, with Nepal scoring 6.03 out of 7 and ranking 47th globally.

Nepal’s Progress Comes as Asia-Pacific Tourism Gains Momentum

Nepal’s improvement comes during a wider rise in tourism development across the Asia-Pacific region.

According to the World Economic Forum, Asia-Pacific recorded the strongest regional improvement between 2024 and 2026, with its average TTDI score increasing 3.6%.

Seven of the 10 fastest-improving economies were developing economies in Asia-Pacific.

The WEF also found that larger emerging tourism economies have been improving more than twice as fast as the top 20 economies since 2019, supported by competitive prices, natural assets and more sustainable tourism demand patterns.

Global Tourism Reaches New Highs

The 2026 index comes as global tourism reaches record levels.

International tourist arrivals reached 1.5 billion in 2025, while around 307 million people travelled internationally during the first quarter of 2026.

Travel and tourism contributed a record $11.6 trillion to global GDP in 2025 and supported approximately 366 million jobs worldwide, equivalent to around one in every 10 jobs.

The WEF found that 92% of the 110 economies covered by the index improved their overall TTDI scores between 2024 and 2026.

What the TTDI Ranking Actually Measures

The Travel & Tourism Development Index should not be interpreted simply as a ranking of the world’s “best” or most popular tourist destinations.

The World Economic Forum says the TTDI measures the factors and policies that enable sustainable and resilient development of the travel and tourism sector.

It therefore considers areas including tourism policy, affordability, infrastructure, safety, digital readiness, natural and cultural resources, workforce conditions and sustainability.

The index does not directly rank countries based on tourist arrivals, visitor spending or tourism revenue.

The 2026 edition evaluates 110 economies through 17 pillars grouped under five broad dimensions.