The global tourism industry is undergoing a transition that goes beyond the traditional pursuit of increasing visitors and revenue. Pressures from climate change, environmental strain, and social reactions to overtourism are creating a new framework.
In this context, the Global Destination Resilience Index 2025 by Tourism Economics and the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards attempts for the first time to measure how “resilient” each major tourist destination is, not only economically, but also environmentally, socially, and climatically.
The analysis covers the 50 largest tourist destinations worldwide, which account for 90% of global tourism activity. The ranking is based on five pillars: transportation mix, tourism intensity, environment, climate, and macroeconomic data.
Top in resilience: Peru
Peru stands out as the most resilient destination (score 76/100). The country has a strong domestic tourism base and a significant number of visitors from neighboring countries, thus limiting its reliance on long-distance air travel. Meanwhile, managing top monuments like Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail limits overcrowding, enhancing the system’s flexibility in the face of environmental pressures. However, there are still steps to be taken in the field of environmental protection, as the country seeks to increase the number of protected areas.
Hong Kong and Poland share the second place
Hong Kong, with a score of 70, is positively evaluated due to its strong policy for green infrastructure, electric transportation, and technological applications that reduce the energy footprint of tourism. Its weak point is the high tourist intensity, which the government is trying to change with the new strategy “Tourism Blueprint 2.0”, which emphasizes quality over the number of visitors.
Poland also scores 70, thanks to high performance in environment and macroeconomic data. With 40% of the country under environmental protection, the European target of 30% by 2030 is more than met. The area that needs improvement is tourist intensity: the country has a high dependence on short-term travel, which increases the visitor cycle and pressure on infrastructure.
The least resilient destinations: Malaysia and India
On the opposite side of the ranking, Malaysia and India appear as the least resilient destinations in the index. Malaysia is experiencing strong growth, but it is struggling to balance economic activity with effective environmental protection. According to the index, India will be the country most affected by the impacts of climate change in the next decades.
Southern Europe: beautiful, but vulnerable
Southern Europe appears to be the geographic zone with the greatest room for improvement. Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, and Turkey are at the bottom of the ranking. Spain, one of the world’s most popular destinations, is ranked as the third least resilient country, as it faces a concentration of visitors in a few cities, intense seasonality, and increasing social reactions against overtourism. Greece also has low resilience, mainly due to climate pressure and strong seasonality.
The five pillars of the index in detail
Transport mix: Criterion is dependence on long-distance air arrivals. Greece, the Czech Republic, and Peru are the most “shielded,” while Portugal is the least resilient due to its increasing reliance on long-distance travelers.
Tourist intensity: Evaluation of the concentration of visitors in limited spaces and periods. Egypt shows the best performance due to its long average length of stay and low seasonality. Denmark is the most exposed, as it relies on short city breaks and a high volume of cruises.
Environment: Croatia and Mexico have top scores due to their protection of natural areas and low carbon footprint per visitor. The US appears last, with high emissions per arrival and low biodiversity protection.
Climate: New Zealand, Canada, and Denmark are the destinations that will be least affected by climate change in the coming decades. India is the least resilient.
Macroeconomics: The US leads due to higher incomes and a strong domestic tourism market. Poland is in second place. The lowest score is recorded in Pakistan.
What changes from here on out
The index is not static: it will be updated regularly and is expected to evolve into a monitoring tool that will allow governments and businesses to measure the progress of sustainable tourism policies. The study states that sustainability is no longer an ethical choice, but a decisive factor in tourism competitiveness. The resilience of tourism will depend on whether destinations can manage visitors, protect their environmental assets, and adapt to the new climate model.
Source: Global Destination Resilience Index 2025
