The 100 Best Cities In The World To Visit

What are the best cities in the world? Euromonitor International has unveiled the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023. This comprehensive analysis serves as a guide to the most dynamic and influential cities across the globe and gives a glimpse into the best places to travel to right now.

To come up with the list, Euromonitor used 55 different metrics across six key categories. These include economic and business performance, tourism performance and infrastructure, policy and attractiveness, health and safety and sustainability.

Paris was named the best city in the world in a new report.

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The World’s Top Ranked City

At the top list—Paris, which was named the world’s best city for the second year in a row. The City of Light continues to enchant visitors with its unique blend of historical grandeur and contemporary dynamism, further enhanced by preparations for the upcoming 2024 Olympics. According to Nadejda Popova, a senior manager at Euromonitor International, Paris ranked high “due to exceptional performance in Tourism Policy and Attractiveness, Tourism Infrastructure, and Tourism Performance,” she said in a statement.

Europe emerged as the dominant force in the index, with seven cities in the top 10 and a total of 63 in the top 100. This European dominance showcases its blend of historical richness, cultural diversity and technological advancement. The other European cities in the top 10 were Madrid (at number 3), followed by Amsterdam (5), Berlin (6), Rome (7), Barcelona (9) and London (10).

This was the first year that Tokyo made the top 10 list of 100 best cities to travel.

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Other Winning Cities

The non-European cities in the top 10 were Dubai (at number 2), Tokyo (4) and New York City (8). Tokyo’s entry into the top 10—a first for the city—is attributed to its improved tourism infrastructure, easing of Covid-19 restrictions and the weakened yen, offering great value to international visitors.

Asia also had a strong presence in the list, with a number of cities making it to the top 20, including Singapore (number 11), Seoul (14), Osaka (16) and Hong Kong (17), demonstrating the region’s growing influence in the global tourism landscape.

Newcomers to this year’s list were Washington D.C. (at number 48), Montreal, Canada (68), Santiago, Chile (88) and Vilnius, Lithuania (92).

New York City was the top ranking U.S. city on the list of best places to travel.

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How the United States Ranked

The eight U.S. cities that made the list included New York (number 8), which was a two point increase from 2022. Los Angeles was next up at number 19, followed by Orlando (25), Las Vegas (34), Miami, (35), San Francisco (42), Washington D.C. (48) and Honolulu (67).

These eight cities in the United States are recognized for their diverse cultural, entertainment and tourism offerings, each contributing to the country’s strong presence in the global tourism landscape.

This was the first year that Washington D.C. made the list of 100 best places to travel.

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Trends in Travel

The report highlighted some of the big trends in travel, including sustainable tourism. With the world becoming increasingly conscious of environmental impacts, cities are adopting measures like improved public transport networks and strategies to combat over-tourism. This approach is not only about preserving the environment but also about enhancing the quality of life for local communities.

“Cities are now creatively tackling the challenge of over-tourism. From imposing tourist caps to promoting off-the-beaten-path destinations, the focus is on preserving cultural heritage while ensuring tourism benefits both visitors and local communities,” said Popova.

Looking ahead, Popova sees challenges looming on the horizon. “The rising cost of living, fluctuating inflation and geopolitical volatility are set to test the resilience of the tourism industry,” said Popova. “The demand for value-centric, local and sustainable travel options will shape the industry’s path forward.”

Dubai was the second ranked city on the list.

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