PH ranks high for adventure

A worker feeds a crocodile named "Shaquille" at an enclosure at the Malabon Zoo in Manila.

The country was ranked 50th on a list of 80 countries in the 2019 Overall Best Countries Ranking by the US News and World Report, an online publication, but it rated high at 22nd as a place of adventure.

The annual ranking was based on factors such as adventure, citizenship, cultural influence, entrepreneurship, heritage, movers, open for business, power and quality of life.

A subset of 65 indicators which are “relevant to the success of a modern nation were also used in the ranking.

The survey was taken from among 20,000 people worldwide.

The Philippines was sandwiched between the Dominican Republic at 49th and Estonia at 51st.

Among its Asian peers, the country was behind Singapore at 15th; China, 16th; South Korea, 22nd; Thailand, 26th; India, 29th; Malaysia, 34th; Vietnam, 39th, and Indonesia, 43rd.

Switzerland maintained its top ranking for the third year followed by Japan, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.

In 2016, it was Germany that was considered the best country.

The country was 51st on entrepreneurship, 59th on citizenship, 44th on cultural influence, 40th on heritage, 26th on open for business, 51st on power and 37th on quality of life.

The Philippines with a gross domestic product of $313.6 billion, a population of 105 million and a GDP per capita of $8,360 was at the 49th spot last year.

US News and World Report said it partnered with BAV Group and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania for the annual ranking.

The Philippines ranked highest, at 22nd, as place for adventure. The publication said people like adventure in their lives and cited studies showing that play is as important in adult lives as it is during childhood.

The number of international tourists has been steadily growing since the 2009 global economic crisis, according to the United Nations.

“Today, the travel and tourism industry is estimated to contribute just over $8 trillion to the global economy or roughly 10 percent of global gross domestic product,” the publication said, citing the World Travel and Tourism Council. The industry accounts for about 1 out of every 10 jobs worldwide.

The adventure subranking is based on an equally weighted average of scores from five country attributes that relate to adventure found within a country: friendly, fun, pleasant climate, scenic and sexy, it said.

It added the adventure subranking had a 2 percent weight in the overall Best Countries ranking.

For the fourth year in a row, Brazil ranked highest overall for being a country offering the greatest adventure. The largest country in South America is one of the most heavily visited in the world by tourists.

Its sprawling coastline draws local residents and tourists to beaches.

“The annual Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, held before Lent every year, is one of the largest festivals in the world and is the most public display of how deeply rooted music and dance are in the nation’s culture,” US News and World Report said.

A country’s financial health had little impact on the ranking. Italy, Spain and Greece – three Southern European countries weathering economic challenges – were ranked in the top five countries for adventure.

At 5th, Thailand rounds out the top five that remain relatively unchanged from last year.

New Zealand, Mexico and Australia rose in the rankings while Singapore and Costa Rica saw notable drops.

Survey respondents said Spaniards are the friendliest people among the 80 countries assessed while Greece is viewed as having the best climate. New Zealand, with its North Island shaped by subtropical landscapes and its South Island dominated by the volcanic Southern Alps, is considered the most scenic country on the list.