Jamaica’s rank on the The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) 2019 worsened when compared to the previous edition of the report.

After placing 69th out of 136 countries in the TTCI 2017, Jamaica fell to 76th out of 140 countries in this year’s report, which was posted on the World Economic Forum’s website.

The index was topped by European countries Spain, France, and Germany, with Japan in fourth.

Scored in 14 categories, just as other countries listed in the index, Jamaica received poor grades in three areas: Safety and Security, Price Competitiveness, and Environmental Sustainability.

On the other hand, the country scored highly for its Ground and Port Infrastructure pillar and earned a notable mention for placing second worldwide in the Prioritisation of Travel and Tourism (T&T) category.

“Jamaica ranks second globally thanks to Government prioritisation (2nd), spending on T&T (3rd) and effectiveness in tourism marketing (6th),” the TTCI 2019 states.

Grouped in the Americas region, the country placed 14th — two places below Caribbean neighbour the Dominican Republic, which ranked 73rd globally, and one place above Caricom counterpart Trinidad and Tobago at 87.

“The Dominican Republic is the most improved country in the subregion (76th to 73rd), thanks to above-average regional and global improvement on 11 pillars,” the TTCI 2019 says in in its overview of the Americas.

The Americas’ table was topped by the big four: United States (5th), Canada (9th), Mexico (19th), and Brazil (32nd). Haiti completed the table at 133rd, one place below Venezuela at 117.

Furthermore, in its analysis of the America’s the TTCI 2019 notes that the region continues to perform above the global average due to presence of natural and cultural resources, including “many UNESCO natural heritage sites and extensive wildlife”. However, the report attributes the performance of the hemisphere to the big four.

“The Americas also scores high and continues to improve on international openness, T&T prioritisation, and tourist service infrastructure. These qualities help member countries take advantage of their natural and cultural assets, and indicate strong policy commitments to tourism,” the report indicates.

However, the TTCI 2019 raised concerns about the region’s poor performance in the area of environmental sustainability, evidenced by an increase in deforestation and threatened species figures.

Recent news reports have highlighted widespread deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. Meanwhile, here in Jamaica there have been debates, protests even, over mining activities being conducted in the biodiverse Cockpit Country.

The TTCI 2019 points out, in addition, that the Americas’ most pressing challenges are in the areas Security and Safety and Business Environment.

“Higher taxes, red tape, and inefficient legal systems have continued to worsen in many countries, potentially hindering T&T investment,” the report states.

“Further, although regional safety and security has improved due to fewer terrorist incidents, exceptionally high homicide rates and unreliable police services persist, dissuading many potential tourists. It’s important to note that performance does vary greatly across subregion and country,” the TTCI 2019 continues.

Jamaica is classified as an upper middle-income country in the report, with gross domestic product between US$3,896 and US$12,055. The University of the West Indies, Mona, provided information for the index.