Tourism has emerged as a vital component of global economic development strategies, making it essential to understand the factors that enhance a destination’s competitiveness thoroughly. This study uses the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) to examine the key elements that influence tourism growth and progress on a global scale. The study uses logistic regression analysis to assess how various elements—such as infrastructure, sustainability, natural and cultural resources, human resources, cost, safety, and political stability—affect the TTDI scores of different economies between 2021 and 2024. Our findings highlight the most effective strategies for boosting tourism competitiveness, emphasising the crucial roles of well-trained human resources and robust infrastructure. These results provide valuable insights for policymakers looking to enhance their country’s tourism attractiveness and stress the importance of developing strategies tailored to the unique conditions of each economy. This research enriches the broader tourism development literature by offering empirical evidence on the factors most likely to improve TTDI scores.