The United States remains the world's largest travel and tourism economy by a considerable margin, generating an estimated $2.36 trillion in tourism-related economic activity, according to the latest World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Economic Impact Research.

The ranking highlights the growing economic power of global tourism as international travel continues to recover and expand beyond pre-pandemic levels, with China firmly holding second place at $1.3 trillion, followed by Germany at $487.6 billion.

According to the WTTC, travel and tourism contributed a record $11.6 trillion to the global economy in 2025, accounting for 9.8% of global GDP and supporting approximately 366 million jobs worldwide, or roughly one in every nine jobs globally.

America Dominates Global Tourism Economy

The United States' tourism sector is worth nearly twice that of second-placed China and exceeds the combined tourism economies of several major European destinations.

WTTC data shows the world's ten largest tourism economies are:

The rankings reflect tourism's total contribution to national economies, including direct spending by visitors as well as indirect and induced economic effects across industries such as aviation, hospitality, retail, transportation and entertainment.l

Nearly half of all adults in Massachusetts now hold at least a bachelor's degree, cementing the state's position as America's most educated, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data analysed by Business Insider .

Massachusetts led the nation with 48.3% of residents aged 25 and older holding a bachelor's degree or higher, narrowly ahead of Colorado at 47.8%. Vermont, Maryland and New Jersey rounded out the top five, highlighting the continued dominance of the Northeast and highly skilled knowledge-economy states.

The findings come as educational attainment across the United States continues to rise, with the Census Bureau reporting growing shares of Americans earning university degrees, particularly among younger adults.

Based on the share of adults aged 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher, the top 10 states are:

Massachusetts' educational advantage is closely tied to its concentration of world-renowned universities, including Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston University and Tufts University. The state also boasts the nation's highest share of adults with graduate or professional degrees at 22.6%.

Experts say highly educated populations often attract technology, healthcare, finance and biotechnology firms, creating a cycle in which talent and economic opportunity reinforce one another. Massachusetts consistently ranks among the strongest U.S. economies and highest-income states.

The Census Bureau's latest educational attainment data show that younger Americans are earning degrees at historically high rates. In 2024, 42.8% of Americans aged 25 to 39 held a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 34.2% among those aged 55 and older.

Research consistently links higher educational attainment with stronger earnings, lower unemployment and greater economic mobility. States with large concentrations of degree holders also tend to attract high-value industries and investment.

Brazil remains football's biggest talent exporter, with more players competing abroad than any other nation, according to a new report from the CIES Football Observatory , highlighting the country's enduring influence on the global game.

The study found that 3,020 Brazilian footballers played in foreign leagues between 2020 and 2025, comfortably ahead of France (2,293) and Argentina (2,171). Together, the three nations account for a significant share of the world's internationally mobile football talent.

For decades, Brazil has been synonymous with football excellence, producing legends from Pelé and Zico to Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar. The latest figures suggest the country's talent pipeline remains unmatched, with Brazilian players appearing in leagues across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.

According to CIES, Portugal remains the leading destination for Brazilian footballers, benefiting from shared language and historical ties. At the same time, Japan, the United States and several European leagues also attract large numbers of Brazilian players.

France ranked second, with the report noting the country recorded the largest increase in expatriate players during the period, adding 372 footballers abroad between 2020 and 2025. Argentina finished third, reinforcing South America's status as one of football's most important talent-producing regions.

England, Spain, Germany and Colombia also featured prominently in the top 10, while Nigeria was the highest-ranked African nation with 926 players competing overseas. Serbia and Croatia completed the list.

The CIES study examined player movements across 135 professional leagues worldwide, reflecting the increasingly global nature of modern football. Analysts say clubs are scouting talent more widely than ever, creating international pathways for players from emerging football markets.

The report also found strong growth in football migration from countries such as Nigeria, Colombia and France, underlining the growing demand for talent from Africa and South America .

Fans waving Ghanaian flags lined the entrance of the team's hotel on Tuesday, cheering, applauding and filming the arrival of players and coaching staff as excitement built ahead of Wednesday's Group L clash.

"It's very nice to see everybody come together as a community. It's very nice seeing a lot of Ghanaians in one spot. You know, it's very good that we stand together," one supporter said.

The warm reception came as Ghana prepared to begin its fifth FIFA World Cup appearance under veteran Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz.

The Black Stars will, however, start the tournament without midfielder Thomas Partey after Canadian authorities refused his visa application.

FIFA confirmed that Partey was unable to travel from Ghana's base in Boston to Canada but stated that immigration decisions were the responsibility of the host country's authorities.

Partey faces seven rape charges and one sexual assault charge in Britain over alleged offences between 2020 and 2022. He has pleaded not guilty. His trial, originally scheduled for November 2026, has been postponed until June 2027.

The former Arsenal midfielder, now with Villarreal, remains eligible to join the squad when Ghana returns to the United States for group-stage matches against England and Croatia.

Ghana's best World Cup performance came in 2010 when the team reached the quarter-finals before losing to Uruguay in a penalty shootout.

Queiroz, appointed in April, is taking charge of his fifth consecutive FIFA World Cup, matching the record held by Bora Milutinovic.