Tanzania & Kenya listed in the top 15

kifaru house sundowner

By Gwen McClure

You’d be hard-pressed to find a country that doesn’t offer any natural assets, but some are more naturally gifted than others. Though the natural beauty of a country might seem like a tough thing to rank, the World Economic Forum took on the task, ranking 136 countries by what natural resources they offer for the 2017 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report.

So, what makes a country quantifiably the most naturally beautiful? The report takes into account several factors, including the number of World Heritage natural sites, the total known number of species and protected areas, and the natural tourism digital demand. And, of course, they also looked at the attractiveness of natural assets. World Heritage natural sites are recognized as having “outstanding universal value.” Natural tourism digital demand measures how many searches are related to the country and specific key words, including “beaches,” “animal watching,” and “diving.” Finally, a survey on how much sway the natural assets of a country had in bringing in tourists helping the WEF finalize the rankings.

Starting from number 15, here are the top ranked countries for natural resources. See where Kenya and Tanzania are ranked.