December 18, 2024, 6:56 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Which is the best city break destination in the world? The global market research company Euromonitor International provides the answer in its annual index and sees Europe at the top with many destinations.
The crown for the best city destination in the world in 2024 goes to Paris! This is the result of the annual report of the global market research company Euromonitor International, the “Top 100 City Destinations Index 2024“. Cities across the globe were scrutinized for their achievements in tourism, sustainability, economic vitality, health, and safety.
Overview
Paris is the Best City Break Destination in 2024
As in the 2023 analysis, the French capital secured the top spot on the winners’ podium for the best city break destinations worldwide. According to Nadejda Popova, Senior Manager (Loyalty) at Euromonitor International, this was “due to exceptional performance across the pillars of tourism policy and attractiveness, tourism infrastructure, and performance.”
Thus, Paris reigns supreme, with Madrid taking the silver and Tokyo the bronze, followed closely by Rome in fourth and Milan in fifth place. Berlin, which was in sixth place last year, no longer makes it into the top 10 in 2024. The German capital ends up in 15th place. London is also no longer in the top 10, slipping to 13th place. The British newspaper
Daily Mail, which has the complete list with 100 rankings, is also surprised.
In addition to the French capital, a number of other European cities feature in the top 100 city rankings and in the front ranks. Six out of ten places in the top 10 are occupied by cities from Europe. Tokyo (3rd place), New York (6th place), Sydney (8th place), and Singapore (9th place) are the non-European destinations in the top ten.
Europe Dominates the Top 20 for Now
Europe continues to lead the pack in the top 20 city break destinations this year, boasting eight cities on the list. Last year, however, twelve European cities made it into the top twenty. This year, Asia is doing particularly well: In addition to the top 10 ranked Tokyo and Singapore, Taipei (11th place), Seoul (12th place), Osaka (16th place), and Bangkok (17th place) make it into the top twenty city break destinations in 2024.
Third-placed Tokyo appeared in the top 10 for the first time last year and made it straight onto the podium in 2024. The report’s authors attribute this rise to major enhancements in the tourism infrastructure. Additionally, the weakening of the Japanese yen has sparked a veritable tourism boom in Japan since 2022. The USA is represented in the top 20 with two cities (New York in 6th place and Los Angeles in 18th place), as is Australia (Sydney in 8th place and Melbourne in 20th place).
These are the Top 20 Best City Break Destinations in 2024
- Paris, France
- Madrid, Spain
- Tokyo, Japan
- Rome, Italy
- Milan, Italy
- New York, USA
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Sydney, Australia
- Singapore, Singapore
- Barcelona, Spain
- Taipei, Taiwan
- Seoul, South Korea
- London, United Kingdom
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Berlin, Germany
- Osaka, Japan
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Los Angeles, USA
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Melbourne, Australia
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Bangkok Tops the List for International Arrivals
Beyond Paris’s top ranking, other cities are making waves. Take Bangkok, for instance, which leads the pack in international arrivals, with Thailand’s capital boasting a 37 percent surge from the previous year. It is followed by Istanbul, where 14 percent more people arrived, and London with a 7 percent increase.