The Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, released on September 25 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group, has ranked countries based on their potential to attract and retain tourists. The index assesses 110 countries across 102 indicators, including rule of law, crime rates, and digital payments. Chad, despite its rich cultural heritage and natural resources, is not among the African countries listed in the index.
The index evaluates countries based on five dimensions: favorable environment, sector policies, infrastructure and services, tourist resources, and sustainable development. These dimensions are further broken down into 17 pillars, which are used to calculate a country's overall score. The scores range from 1 to 7, with higher scores indicating a more favorable environment for tourism. The data used to calculate the scores comes from reputable institutions such as the UN Tourism and the World Bank.
In Africa, 23 countries are covered in the index, with Mauritius ranking highest at 59th globally with a score of 4.07. Other African countries listed include South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania, Kenya, Tunisia, Botswana, Algeria, and Namibia. None of these countries rank in the top 50 globally. The index also shows that ten countries have declined in ranking since 2024, while eight have improved and five have remained stagnant.
Morocco made significant gains, rising seven places, while Algeria improved by four places and Nigeria by three. The index suggests that having attractive tourist sites is not enough; factors such as visa requirements, air connectivity, digital payments, security, and a favorable legal framework also play a crucial role in determining a country's ranking.
The WEF's Travel & Tourism Development Index aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of a country's tourism sector. By evaluating a range of factors, the index provides insights into areas where countries can improve to increase their attractiveness to tourists. For countries like Chad, which are not listed in the index, there are opportunities to develop their tourism sectors and improve their rankings in future assessments.
According to the WEF, the index is based on data from reputable sources, including institutions such as the World Bank and UN Tourism. The data is complemented by a survey of experts and stakeholders in the tourism sector. By using a robust methodology, the index provides a reliable assessment of countries' tourism sectors and identifies areas for improvement.
The absence of Chad from the list of top African tourist destinations highlights the need for the country to focus on developing its tourism sector. By addressing factors such as infrastructure, services, and sustainability, Chad can work towards improving its ranking in future assessments and increasing its attractiveness to tourists.
Key points
- Chad is not listed among the top African tourist destinations in the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026.
- The index evaluates countries based on 102 indicators, including rule of law, crime rates, and digital payments.
- Morocco made significant gains, rising seven places in the index.
