Destination rises from 82nd to 78th among 110 economies, the largest rank gain in the Americas

Pictured: Minister of Tourism addresses Tourism Action Club members at the Tourism Awareness Week AI Youth Forum at Sandals Dunns River.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Oct. 1, 2026 — Jamaica has strengthened its position on the global tourism landscape, moving up four places in the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2026, from 82nd to 78th among 110 economies evaluated. The index was produced in collaboration with Zurich Insurance Group.

Speaking at the Tourism Awareness Week’s AI Youth Forum at Sandals Dunns River, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, welcomed the development, noting that the improved ranking reflects the country’s continued efforts to strengthen the competitiveness, resilience and sustainability of Jamaica’s tourism sector.

“Moving from No. 82 to No. 78 is not just four places — it is validation. For ten years I have watched this Index: No. 76 in 2015, No. 69 in 2017 — our best — No. 76 in 2019, No. 82 in 2024, now No. 78  in 2026. The old index measured what we built — airports and hotel rooms. The new Beyond Tourism index measures what we survived — people, resilience, and retention. Jamaica built that,” said the Minister.

Jamaica recorded the largest rank improvement of any economy in the Americas and is the only one in the region to climb four places. The country’s score rose 2.3% over the 2024 edition, and it now stands two places higher than in 2019. The TTDI measures the conditions that enable sustainable and resilient tourism development, such as infrastructure, connectivity, digital readiness, safety and security and natural and cultural resources. It does not measure visitor arrivals or tourism earnings.

“This movement in the global competitiveness rankings is an important indicator that Jamaica is moving in the right direction. To rise four places in a highly competitive global tourism environment demonstrates that the investments we are making in our people, infrastructure, visitor experience, connectivity, resilience and destination development are producing measurable progress,” said Minister Bartlett.

He added that Jamaica’s tourism strategy is increasingly focused not only on attracting more visitors, but on ensuring that the destination remains competitive, resilient and relevant in a rapidly changing international marketplace.

“Tourism competitiveness today is about much more than sun, sea and sand. It is about the quality of our human capital, the strength of our infrastructure, our ability to innovate, our digital readiness, sustainability, connectivity and the overall value proposition that we offer to visitors,” the Minister said.

The four-place improvement comes as Jamaica continues to pursue a strategic transformation of its tourism sector under its Tourism 3.0 framework, which places greater emphasis on innovation, human capital development, resilience, sustainability and creating stronger linkages between tourism and the wider Jamaican economy.

The Ministry of Tourism and its public bodies will continue to use international competitiveness indicators to inform policy, strengthen destination management and guide investments aimed at ensuring Jamaica remains competitive in the global tourism marketplace.

The Tourism Action Club’s Youth Forum, which formed part of the Tourism Awareness Week activities, brought 250 high school students from across Jamaica to explore how AI and digital technologies are transforming tourism, under the theme “AI and Digital Technologies: The Power of Curiosity”.

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ABOUT THE JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD  

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are in Berlin, Madrid, Milan, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Tokyo and Paris.

Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best accommodations, attractions and service providers that continue to receive prominent global recognition. In 2025, TripAdvisor® ranked Jamaica as the #13 Best Honeymoon Destination, #11 Best Culinary Destination, and #24 Best Cultural Destination in the World. In 2024, Jamaica was declared ‘World’s Leading Cruise Destination’ and ‘World’s Leading Family Destination’ for the fifth consecutive year by the World Travel Awards, which also named the JTB the ‘Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board’ for the 17th consecutive year.

Jamaica earned six Travvy Awards, including a gold for ‘Best Travel Agent Academy Program’ and silver for ‘Best Culinary Destination – Caribbean’ and ‘Best Tourism Board – Caribbean’. The destination also received bronze recognition for ‘Best Destination – Caribbean’, ‘Best Wedding Destination – Caribbean’, and ‘Best Honeymoon Destination – Caribbean’. Additionally, Jamaica received a TravelAge West WAVE award for ‘International Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support’ for a record-setting 12th time.

For details on upcoming special events, attractions, and accommodations in Jamaica, go to the JTB’s website at www.visitjamaica.com or call the Jamaica Tourist Board at 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422). Follow the JTB on Facebook, X, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. View the JTB blog at www.visitjamaica.com/blog/.