PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is ranked higher than Thailand in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017 by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The report which is released every two years, said Malaysia's strong performance was attributed to its price competitiveness, strong air connectivity, and beautiful natural resources. The WEF report engages leaders in the travel and tourism industry to carry out an in-depth analysis of its industries' competitiveness of 136 economies that account for over 98% of the world's GDP. The index measures a set of "factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector", which includes international openness, prioritisation of travel and tourism, human resources and labour market, health and hygiene, and safety and security. The report also said that Malaysia could become more competitive by further prioritising the travel and tourism industry via investing in the development of its cultural resources and business travel.

Source: The Star April 09, 2017 06:33 UTC