The expansion of travel since the pandemic is critical for the recovery of many cities around the globe. An index of the top city destinations in the world by Euromonitor, an international market research company, finds that emerging markets continue to develop leading city destinations and European cities are recovering rapidly.
According to Euromonitor’s report, as the world emerges from the pandemic, the travel and tourism sector drives broader environmental, social and economic sustainability goals. Governments play a more important role in uplifting the tourism sector.
To identify the top city destinations around the world, Euromonitor compares 54 different metrics across six key categories for 110 cities, to create an overall “city attractiveness” score. The six categories are: economic & business performance, tourism performance, tourism infrastructure, tourism policy & attractiveness, health & safety, and sustainability.
The index highlights attributes that can help cities attract international investment, showcasing business readiness, resilience in times of adversity and opportunities for sustainable strategies.
Here are the top 30 city destinations in the world, and how they rank in each of the six categories.
1. Paris
- Economic & business rank: 21
- Tourism rank: 1
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 2
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 7
- Health & safety rank: 71
- Sustainability rank: 17
Paris ranks No. 1 for tourism performance, which looks at the numbers of both international and domestic tourists and the value they generate. The pandemic has highlighted the need to develop domestic tourism.
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2. Dubai
- Economic & business rank: 8
- Tourism rank: 8
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 4
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 20
- Health & safety rank: 4
- Sustainability rank: 77
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3. Amsterdam
- Economic & business rank: 6
- Tourism rank: 13
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 10
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 24
- Health & safety rank: 51
- Sustainability rank: 16
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4. Madrid
- Economic & business rank: 33
- Tourism rank: 27
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 3
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 8
- Health & safety rank: 58
- Sustainability rank: 1
Madrid is the leader in the sustainability category. This category scores on climate and pollution, overtourism, Unesco heritage sites and country sustainability. With the increased impact of climate change, not only are governments putting sustainability on their policy agendas but private sector players in the tourism industry are also investing in sustainable business practices, the report says.
5. Rome
- Economic & business rank: 41
- Tourism rank: 11
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 8
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 4
- Health & safety rank: 5
- Sustainability rank: 36
6. Berlin
- Economic & business rank: 52
- Tourism rank: 7
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 6
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 18
- Health & safety rank: 52
- Sustainability rank: 5
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7. New York
- Economic & business rank:13
- Tourism rank: 3
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 31
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 11
- Health & safety rank: 99
- Sustainability rank: 15
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8. London
- Economic & business rank: 10
- Tourism rank: 44
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 7
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 1
- Health & safety rank: 73
- Sustainability rank: 44
London is No. 1 for tourism infrastructure—lodging, transportation, entertainment, shopping and dining—attractions needed to support visitor growth in a city. Cultural sites and educational facilities are key decision factors for city visitors. Diversifying traveler experiences through public-private partnerships is becoming prominent in tourism strategies, the report says.
9. Munich
- Economic & business rank: 15
- Tourism rank: 19
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 12
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 42
- Health & safety rank: 37
- Sustainability rank: 11
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10. Barcelona
- Economic & business rank: 30
- Tourism rank: 20
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 5
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 21
- Health & safety rank: 61
- Sustainability rank: 33
11. Vienna
- Economic & business rank: 19
- Tourism rank: 60
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 20
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 28
- Health & safety rank: 10
- Sustainability rank: 8
12. Milan
- Economic & business rank: 20
- Tourism rank: 36
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 17
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 16
- Health & safety rank: 56
- Sustainability rank: 49
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13. Prague
- Economic & business rank: 34
- Tourism rank: 23
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 32
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 22
- Health & safety rank: 59
- Sustainability rank: 9
14. Los Angeles
- Economic & business rank: 5
- Tourism rank: 12
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 47
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 14
- Health & safety rank: 106
- Sustainability rank: 38
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15. Tokyo
- Economic & business rank: 14
- Tourism rank: 28
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 61
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 2
- Health & safety rank: 53
- Sustainability rank: 54
16. Dublin
- Economic & business rank: 22
- Tourism rank: 55
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 1
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 53
- Health & safety rank: 32
- Sustainability rank: 3
Dublin leads the pack in the tourism policy category, which looks at both visa requirements and tax-free shopping alongside social media presence. Cities are becoming more active on social media to boost their marketing reach, expand customer base and raise attractiveness. Destination popularity is measured in terms of reviews and number of online searches on social media platforms.
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17. Lisbon
- Economic & business rank: 60
- Tourism rank: 30
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 19
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 31
- Health & safety rank: 46
- Sustainability rank: 12
18. Frankfurt am Main
- Economic & business rank: 26
- Tourism rank: 48
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 26
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 37
- Health & safety rank: 38
- Sustainability rank: 6
19. Zurich
- Economic & business rank: 18
- Tourism rank: 40
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 9
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 69
- Health & safety rank: 16
- Sustainability rank: 13
20. Istanbul
- Economic & business rank: 35
- Tourism rank: 39
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 25
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 10
- Health & safety rank: 69
- Sustainability rank: 62
21. Florence
- Economic & business rank: 38
- Tourism rank: 14
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 24
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 47
- Health & safety rank: 54
- Sustainability rank: 42
22. Orlando
- Economic & business rank: 23
- Tourism rank: 2
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 36
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 43
- Health & safety rank: 101
- Sustainability rank: 35
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23. Sydney
- Economic & business rank: 16
- Tourism rank: 43
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 68
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 36
- Health & safety rank: 17
- Sustainability rank: 14
24. Singapore
- Economic & business rank: 1
- Tourism rank: 29
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 50
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 46
- Health & safety rank: 1
- Sustainability rank: 93
Singapore ranks No. 1 for both economic & business performance and health & safety. The first measures the impact of economic development on tourism performance and the economic ability of cities to support tourism growth, such as GDP, per-capita income, employment and other demographics.
Health and safety measures political stability and social safety as well as safety against diseases and epidemics. These factors affect tourism policies such as visa requirements and immunization rules.
25. Abu Dhabi
- Economic & business rank: 32
- Tourism rank: 31
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 16
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 54
- Health & safety rank: 5
- Sustainability rank: 88
26. Athens
- Economic & business rank: 59
- Tourism rank: 47
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 14
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 33
- Health & safety rank: 30
- Sustainability rank: 53
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27. Venice
- Economic & business rank: 73
- Tourism rank: 16
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 18
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 63
- Health & safety rank: 13
- Sustainability rank: 29
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28. Las Vegas
- Economic & business rank: 42
- Tourism rank: 6
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 41
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 52
- Health & safety rank: 75
- Sustainability rank: 23
29. Brussels
- Economic & business rank: 57
- Tourism rank: 17
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 53
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 55
- Health & safety rank: 21
- Sustainability rank: 4
30. Miami
- Economic & business rank: 9
- Tourism rank: 10
- Tourism policy & attractiveness rank: 56
- Tourism infrastructure rank: 48
- Health & safety rank: 107
- Sustainability rank: 19
Get the full index of top 100 cities and the methodology for this ranking at Euromonitor.
