Belgium increasingly attractive as tourist destination

Belgium has become more attractive for tourism over the past two years, according to the index of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Belgium ranks number 18, five places higher than in 2011. The tourism ranking, published every two years, refers to the competitiveness of 140 countries in the worldwide travel and tourism industry. Belgium lost a few points on affordability, due to relatively high fuel prices, but rose in the rankings overall. Switzerland leads the ranking, followed by Germany and Austria. Spain comes in at fourth place, while the United Kingdom, United States, France, Canada, Sweden and Singapore complete the top ten. The study shows that the travel and tourism industry has remained "relatively stable, despite the poor economic situation." Globally, countries are more and more competitive in the field of tourism, thanks to an increasing number of people who have the means to go on holiday, according to the WEF report.