Switzerland has retained first spot in the 2013 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), ahead of Germany and Austria, which climbed one place compared to the previous WEF report two years ago.

Switzerland leads the rankings because it has the best tourism infrastructure in the world. The country only scored 5.66 out 7.0 overall due to high prices and strict visa policy.

Slovenia got an overall score of 4.58 to place 36th, right behind Croatia. The country scored best in terms of tourism infrastructure (6.3), health and hygiene (5.6) and safety and security (5.8).

On the other hand, the country scored worst by cultural resources (2.9) and airport infrastructure (2.8).

The top three ranking countries are followed by Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Canada, Sweden and Singapore.

The WEF report highlights the importance of tourism for economic development. The industry employing 120 million people directly and another 125 million indirectly generates 9% of global GDP.