New Delhi, May 21 -- Despite a burgeoning travel sector and a sharp rebound in economic growth from covid lows, India has slipped ten places to 39 in the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024 (TTDI) rankings since 2019, mostly hurt by weak access to health facilities, inadequate tourism infrastructure, and low-skilled manpower serving the sector.

On an overall index score of 7, where 1 is the worst, and 7 the best, India's score of 4.25 was lower than its emerging-market peers such as China and Brazil, WEF's new Insight Report showed. Among the world's top 10 economies, India's slide down the rankings was the sharpest, followed by the UK, which fell 3 places since 2019 to occupy the seventh spot. The US retaine...