US polls low on competitiveness survey

In the second international study carried out by the World Economic Forum about countries’ competitiveness in the tourism industry has been released, with the United States placing lower on the list than many American industry pundits would have liked. There were 130 countries surveyed in total for the Global Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008, with ranks established using over 60 variables to make the final tally.

The United States placed6th overall, but 105th out of 130 as far as price competitiveness goes, and a dismal 100th for its environmental sustainability. Vice President of Booz Allen, a co-opertor in the survey said, ‘The low score on this pillar is not only a result of relatively weak regulatory measures to combat global warming, but is also driven by inefficient energy consumption and the relatively high levels of air pollution in major cities. To attract more tourists in the long term, the U.S. might consider adopting environmental policies that not only preserve natural assets but also change global perceptions about our leadership in environmentalism.’

The top ten of countries surveyed were Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Australia, Spain, Great Britain, the United States, Sweden, Canada and France.