Scores range from 1 to 7 where 1 means worst and 7 means best.

The report attributes Iran’s top ranking to low ticket taxes and airport charges (seventh), cheap fuel (fifth) and high purchasing power (fifth).

“Price competitiveness” is one of the four pillars of the “T&T Policy and Enabling Conditions” sub-index, which captures specific policies or strategic aspects that impact the T&T industry more directly.

“Lower costs related to travel in a country increase its attractiveness for many travelers as well as for investing in the T&T sector. Among the aspects of price competitiveness taken into account in this pillar are airfare ticket taxes and airport charges, which can make flight tickets much more expensive; the relative cost of hotel accommodation; the cost of living, proxied by purchasing power parity; and fuel price costs, which directly influence the cost of travel,” the report reads.

The 2019 report features the latest iteration of the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index. Published biennially, TTCI benchmarks the T&T competitiveness of 140 economies and measures “the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the Travel & Tourism (T&T) sector, which contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country.

The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report is a flagship product of the World Economic Forum’s Platform for Shaping the Future of Mobility, which brings together world leaders to ensure travel and transportation systems meet 21st-century demands.

This report serves as a strategic benchmarking tool for policymakers, companies and complementary sectors to advance the future development of the T&T sector by providing a unique insight into the strengths and development areas of each country/economy to enhance industry competitiveness.

It also serves as a platform for multi-stakeholder dialogue to understand and anticipate emerging trends and risks in global travel and tourism, adapt their policies, practices and investment decisions, and accelerate new models that ensure the longevity of this important sector.