Spain crowned world's most tourist-friendly country

Spain has been named the world's most tourist-friendly country, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum. In what is its biennial tourism report, the WEF ranked 136 countries rated according to categories ranging from hygiene, safety, security and transportation.

Citing its array of cultural and natural offerings, along with its world-class tourism and infrastructure, Spain was ranked first of the 136 countries rated, followed by France in second place, Germany in third, Japan soared up the ranks into fourth place (from ninth in 2015) and the UK in fifth place.

The prestigious Geneva-based report awards each country a new score every two years in each of the stated categories, with the final rankings determined by an average. European countries on average were found to have the strongest levels of travel and tourism competitive in the world, welcoming 1.2 billion international visitors in 2016.

The report considers the top 10 countries to have ‘successfully created an enabling environment for travel and tourism to thrive by facilitating travel to their nation, promoting their natural and cultural heritage, and ensuring rewarding and hopefully unforgettable experiences for their visitors’.

Top 10 Countries

• 1. Spain
• 2. France
• 3. Germany
• 4. Japan
• 5. United Kingdom
• 6. United States
• 7. Australia
• 8. Italy
• 9. Canada
• 10. Switzerland

Source: World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report.