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US Tops WTTC Tourism Rankings for Growth and Jobs
The United States leads the latest WTTC Tourism Rankings 2026, as more countries face a wider test of travel growth, green impact and jobs. The new indices examine how tourism supports national economies, uses natural resources and creates employment. China and India follow the US, while Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico, Spain and Saudi Arabia complete the leading group. The findings have implications for global tourism, airlines, airports, hotels and destination investment. They also show why rising visitor numbers alone cannot explain tourism success. Economic strength, environmental performance and employment opportunities now form a broader framework for assessing destinations.The World Travel & Tourism Council, working with Oxford Economics, has developed the Power, Efficiency and Opportunity indices to examine tourism performance across 184 economies. Introduced in November 2026, the framework measures economic contribution alongside environmental efficiency and employment opportunities. This approach helps distinguish a destination’s financial scale from its ability to manage resources and support workers. The Power Index covers tourism GDP, employment and investment.
Source: Travel and Tour World
