Greece has consolidated its standing in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index, raising its overall score by 2.5 percent while holding on to 21st place.
In the Forum's 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI), Greece sits 21st among 110 economies, keeping the position it already held in 2024 even as its overall score advanced by 2.5 percent. The country posted 4.57 out of 7, landing directly behind Ireland, which collected the same 4.57, and directly ahead of the United Arab Emirates, which took 22nd place on 4.56.
Set against 2019, Greece has climbed four positions and improved its score by 3.6 percent. The WEF points out that historical results for 2019, 2021 and 2024 were recalculated for the 2026 edition following data revisions and methodological adjustments, so comparisons can now be made on a consistent basis.
One point is worth spelling out: the TTDI does not measure tourism performance through arrivals, spending or receipts. Its 17 pillars and 102 indicators instead assess the conditions and policies that make the sustainable and resilient development of travel and tourism possible.
Greece ranks 21st among 110 economies in the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, with a score of 4.57. Source: World Economic Forum
Despite the unchanged overall ranking, the underlying data reveal substantial differences from pillar to pillar on Greece's scorecard.
Tourist Services and Infrastructure remains one of the country's strongest assets: Greece ranks 4th globally, one position lower than in 2024, even though its score in the pillar rose by 7.3 percent. Air transport keeps the country near the top as well, with the Air Transport Infrastructure pillar placing Greece 8th, compared with 7th in 2024, despite a 7.8 percent improvement in its score.
Among the largest gains, the score for Non-Leisure Resources climbed 14.2 percent, lifting Greece from 39th to 32nd place, while Cultural Resources improved by 13.8 percent. Greece nevertheless slipped from 22nd to 25th in the latter pillar — a clear illustration that a stronger score does not automatically translate into a higher rank when other economies advance faster.
Natural Resources, the foundation of any Greek islands vacation, improved 6.3 percent, with Greece rising from 44th to 37th place. The score for T&T Demand Sustainability increased 9 percent, moving the country from 100th to 96th, though this remains one of the country's lowest-ranked areas.
The most pronounced deterioration appeared in Price Competitiveness: Greece's score fell 15.6 percent, pushing the country down from 95th to 100th place. Ground and Port Infrastructure also weakened, with the score declining 4.2 percent and the ranking dropping from 51st to 58th.
Smaller gains were logged in Safety and Security, Prioritization of T&T, Openness to T&T, ICT Readiness and Environmental Sustainability.
Health and Hygiene edged up just 0.4 percent, although Greece slipped from 6th to 8th place. Human Resources and Labour Market and T&T Socioeconomic Impact both declined, while the Business Environment was left virtually unchanged.
Japan topped the 2026 index, followed by the United States, Spain, Australia and France. Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Switzerland and Italy completed the top 10, with European economies occupying six of those ten positions.
Greece's improvement came amid broad gains across the index. A total of 101 of the 110 economies — 92 percent — improved their scores between 2024 and 2026, the global average rose by 2.1 percent and Europe and Eurasia gained 1.8 percent, which means Greece's 2.5 percent increase outpaced both benchmarks.
Globally, the strongest gains were recorded in Cultural Resources, up 9.6 percent; Tourist Services and Infrastructure, up 9.2 percent; and Air Transport Infrastructure, up 7.2 percent.
That improvement in tourism development conditions has been accompanied by growing cost pressures. Global Price Competitiveness declined 3.1 percent between 2024 and 2026 as accommodation, transport and operating costs increased, while T&T Socioeconomic Impact fell 3.5 percent.
Most TTDI pillars improved between 2024 and 2026, led by cultural resources, tourist services and infrastructure, and air transport infrastructure, while price competitiveness and tourism's socioeconomic impact declined. Source: World Economic Forum
The WEF also cautions that tourism investment has struggled to keep pace with activity, and that pressure on infrastructure, housing, natural assets and public services keeps mounting as visitor numbers rise.
Workforce constraints add another growing challenge. By the Forum's estimate, travel and tourism labour demand could exceed supply by more than 43 million workers by 2035 — a 16 percent shortfall — potentially putting additional strain on service quality and on the sector's ability to meet demand.
The report also underscores the sector's exposure to geopolitical and climate-related disruption. Recent conflict in the Middle East and North Africa closed a major aviation corridor connecting Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa, affecting flight schedules, capacity, fares and traveller confidence, while heatwaves and wildfires in Europe and North America have piled further operational pressure onto destinations.
According to the WEF, the challenge for global tourism has therefore shifted from post-pandemic recovery to managing growth, with affordability, investment and sustainability increasingly deciding whether rising travel demand can be turned into long-term benefits for destinations, businesses and local communities.
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