Greece has climbed four places since 2019 in a global travel and tourism index that measures how well countries can attract and support visitors, according to a new World Economic Forum report.
The country ranked 21st out of 110 economies in the Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, released in September by Zurich Insurance Group. Its score rose 3.6% since 2019 to 4.57 on a scale of 1 to 7. Since the last edition in 2024, Greece held its place while raising its score by 2.5%.
That result leaves Greece just short of the top 20. Ireland, ranked 20th, posted the same score.
The index does not count tourist arrivals or spending. Researchers said it instead tracks the conditions behind tourism, such as transport, safety, cultural assets, prices and sustainability.
How Greece compares with European rivals in the Travel and Tourism Index 2026
Within Europe, Greece’s standing in the travel and tourism index still trails several of its Southern European rivals. Spain ranked third, Italy 10th and Portugal 11th. France placed fifth and Germany sixth. Greece finished ahead of Cyprus at 30th, Malta at 33rd and Croatia at 46th. Its score also beat the 4.39 average for Europe and Eurasia, the strongest region overall.
Japan took the top spot worldwide, moving up two places from 2024. The United States ranked second and Spain third. Australia, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Switzerland and Italy rounded out the top 10. Albania was the most improved economy, lifting its score by 7%.
Across the index, 92% of economies improved their scores between 2024 and 2026. Researchers said it was the fastest pace of improvement since 2019.
Rising prices and crowding pressures weigh on Southern Europe
The report also pointed to growing strain. Price competitiveness weakened in three out of four economies as travel costs rose faster than inflation. Researchers said prices remain a relative weakness for Southern Europe, the group that includes Greece. Europe also scored lowest of any region on managing crowding and seasonal demand.
The report noted that heatwaves and wildfires hit parts of southern Europe in summer 2026, including Spain and France.
In the report’s foreword, Kiva Allgood of the World Economic Forum and Cara Morton of Zurich Insurance Group said growth is no longer the sector’s main challenge. They said the real opportunity lies in managing that growth without harming the communities and natural assets tourism depends on.
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