Muscat 

Oman has ranked 62nd globally among 110 economies in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2026, scoring 3.98 out of seven. In the Arab world, it is ranked fifth.  

Oman’s score increased 2.9% and its rank by two places from the 2024 result recalculated under the WEF’s latest methodology. The country also recorded a 2.6% increase compared with the recalculated 2019 result.

The TTDI measures the conditions and policies that enable the sustainable and resilient development of travel and tourism rather than directly measuring tourism performance such as visitor arrivals, spending or revenue. The 2026 index covers 17 pillars and 102 indicators, spanning the business environment, safety and security, health and hygiene, human resources, ICT readiness, tourism policy, openness, price competitiveness, transport and tourism infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and sustainability.

Oman’s 3.98 score matches the average for the Middle East and North Africa, whose overall performance improved in the latest edition. The WEF said 92% of the 110 economies assessed recorded higher TTDI scores between 2024 and 2026, with the global average rising by 2.1%. Within the GCC, the UAE ranked 22nd with a score of 4.56, followed by Saudi Arabia at 29th with 4.45, Qatar at 47th with 4.23, Bahrain at 55th with 4.11, Oman at 62nd and Kuwait at 88th with 3.53.

Globally, Japan topped the index with a score of 5.27, followed by the United States (5.23), Spain (5.22), Australia (5.18) and France (5.17).

The WEF said tourism development conditions are at their strongest since the pandemic, with improvements particularly evident in cultural resources, tourism infrastructure and services, and air connectivity. At the same time, it identified affordability, investment gaps, workforce shortages and sustainability pressures as growing constraints on the sector.

The 2026 results are based on the latest available data collected up to May 2026. The WEF cautioned that changes in data, methodology and indicator adjustments mean the 2026 edition is not directly comparable with previously published editions; historical figures for 2019, 2021 and 2024 have therefore been recalculated.