Spain ranked as most tourist-friendly country, Japan at 9th: report

Spain, also recognized for airport and other infrastructure strength as well as adaptation to wireless Internet services, has ranked top of the biannual report on tourist-friendly economies for the first time, followed by France, Germany, the United States, Britain and Switzerland. Japan climbed to ninth in the competitiveness ranking from 14th in 2013. By indicator, it was ranked first globally in terms of both "treatment of customers" and "quality of railroad infrastructure," a positive sign for a country whose government has been promoting the tourism industry for economic growth. A record number of foreign tourists are visiting Japan, helped by a cheaper yen as well as government policies of easing visa rules and expanding the range of tax-free items. The boom is expected to accelerate toward the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The WEF, known for its annual meeting in Davos of the world's leaders, attributed Japan's advance in the ranking to its "unique cultural heritage," efficient ground and air transport infrastructure, and a newly launched wireless Internet service. But the institution also pointed out that relatively higher prices are a less positive note for Japan as a tourist destination. Australia, ranked seventh overall, is the only country ahead of Japan in the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore came 11th, with Hong Kong standing at 13th, China at 17th and South Korea at 29th. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report is designed to assess how well countries could deliver sustainable economic and societal benefits through their travel and tourism sector. Source: Kyodo