UK
While the United Kingdom's future looked uncertain more than a year ago due to Brexit negotiations, many global reports have been proving the exact contrary. This year, the UK comes up as the top country for soft skills thanks to several factors including its excellence in education at all levels, its cultural diversity, as well as the general engagement and the digital sector. It's worth noting that soft power in the UK benefits from a significant amount of public funding. The British Council, for example, plays a crucial role in the fields of cultural and educational engagement. The country also heavily relies on its conducive environment for art, creativity, and entertainment including cinema, fashion, and sports, as evidenced by the widespread enthusiasm for the English Premier League. The UK, and London in particular, has a tourist appeal thanks to the presence of many museums, galleries, theatres, and other attractions. Regarding business, the UK remains a top destination for launching your startup thanks to the importance given to innovation, new technologies, and artificial intelligence which continuously require investment and advanced skills.
France
France mainly owes the 2nd spot to the election of President Emmanuel Macron. The latter continues to enjoy unparalleled local and international popularity even though his apparent relations with US President Donald Trump have been frowned upon. You might be surprised to learn that France has the most significant number of foreign cultural missions in the world besides its vast diplomatic network, which reflects its global engagement. The country also has a strong cultural heritage as evidenced by the world famous French art and cinema, not to mention French cuisine, sports, and tourism. Foodies will be delighted to know that France has the world's largest number of Michelin-starred restaurants. France also attracts thousands of tourists in large numbers thanks to a plethora of museums, galleries, and many UNESCO World Heritage sites. The French economy looks promising thanks to efforts made by President Macron. Foreign investment supported by measures to boost entrepreneurship have contributed significantly to the country's economic growth.
Germany
Moving up from the 4th to the 3rd spot, Germany shows significant progress in the fields of education and business. The German education system is indeed world famous for its excellence as it produces thousands of highly qualified and skilled graduates every year. The country owes its economic prosperity not only to its dynamic labour market but also to the manufacturing and engineering sectors as showcased by the Hanover International Fair, as well as vehicles, road and circuits, and railways all around the world. Furthermore, Germany has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world with a rather low gender pay gap. No wonder so many countries envy Germany, which is also one of the best countries in the world to start a business in, thanks to its skilled workforce and the importance given to innovation, coupled with a series of incentives to boost entrepreneurship. In general, Germany remains an attractive country in spite of a slight decline in its popularity due to recent internal political turmoil.
USA
Dropping from the 3rd to the 4th spot, the USA remains an attractive destination thanks to its soft power indicators. Needless to say that the USA is one of the top countries for international students thanks to its prestigious universities, including the Ivy Leagues, its quality education at all levels, as well as its cultural diversity and the importance of technology and innovation. You might be surprised to learn that the USA has the world's most significant number of international students, even more than the UK. The country is also home to the world's biggest tech companies including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft. The Silicon Valley and other major tech hubs have been attracting entrepreneurs who wish to be part of tech development and innovation. Regarding culture, American cinema and television, as well as online media such as Netflix, remain exemplary. It seems like President Donald Trump's reputation has little impact on the soft power the country has accumulated over the past decades.
Japan
Japan is the only Asian country to make it in the top five thanks to an impressive improvement over the past few years. As one of the world's most attractive countries, Japan shows a record of over 28 million tourist arrivals in 2017. Furthermore, Japan's popularity is expected to increase with upcoming events such as the G20 Summit and the Rugby World Cup in 2019, and the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. Japan can boast of a magnificent cultural heritage and the importance of innovation as evidenced by its anime, mangas, J-pop, its outstanding cuisine, as well as its excellence in art, literature, architecture, and design. In Japan, as much as in the rest of the world, famous brands such as Toyota and Sony are an integral part of everyday life, not to mention iconic characters like Pokemon and Hello Kitty. It's also worth noting that Japan has the world's fifth largest diplomatic network supported by many cultural centres. Needless to remind you of its economic prosperity, Japan being the second largest contributor to the United Nations budget, and its dynamic workforce which makes it a great place to invest or launch your startup.
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