Paris has once again secured its position as the globe's premier urban destination, marking an impressive fifth consecutive year at the top. This revelation comes from the highly anticipated 2025 Top 100 City Destinations Index, published by the renowned data analytics firm Euromonitor International. The comprehensive study assesses cities based on 55 distinct metrics, grouped into six critical areas: economic and business performance, tourism performance, tourism infrastructure, policy and attractiveness, health and safety, and sustainability.
European Cities Dominate the Top Tier
The latest rankings underscore a clear European dominance in the top 10 list. Following Paris at the pinnacle, Madrid clinches the second spot. Italy showcases its strength with Rome and Milan securing fourth and fifth places respectively. Amsterdam holds steady at number seven, while Barcelona demonstrates notable progress, climbing two positions to claim the eighth rank. The Asian powerhouses of Tokyo and Singapore, along with New York and Seoul, complete this elite group, ensuring a geographically diverse yet Europe-heavy leadership board.
In a significant shift, London's descent in the rankings has continued. After falling out of the top ten last year to 13th place, the UK capital has now slipped further to 18th position globally. Analysts point out that while London remains a world leader in tourism infrastructure, ranking fourth internationally, its scores have been pulled down by weaker performances in the crucial areas of tourism policy, health and safety, and sustainability initiatives.
Visitor Numbers Tell a Different Story
Interestingly, the ranking for international attractiveness does not always directly correlate with sheer visitor volume. According to the report's data on international arrivals for 2025, Bangkok retains its crown as the world's most visited city, welcoming a staggering 30.3 million international trips. Hong Kong follows with 23.2 million arrivals. London, despite its falling attractiveness ranking, remains a major global hub, recording 22.7 million international arrivals, placing it third on this volume-based list. Macao and Istanbul round out the top five most visited cities.
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Urban Travel
The 2025 report identifies several powerful trends currently transforming city tourism worldwide. A primary focus for many destinations is combating overtourism by shifting strategy from pursuing high visitor numbers to attracting higher-value tourism. This means cities are now actively crafting policies to encourage longer stays, increased spending per visitor, and more responsible behaviour towards local communities and the environment.
Furthermore, Euromonitor International highlights that rising security concerns, inflationary pressures, and the challenges of managing large tourist flows are pushing destinations to modernise their entry systems. Many are updating visa charges and accelerating the implementation of electronic travel authorisation (ETA) systems. These changes are expected to play a significant role in shaping the long-term appeal and manageability of major cities for tourists in the years to come.
The full Top 10 City Destinations for 2025, as per Euromonitor International, are:
- Paris
- Madrid
- Tokyo
- Rome
- Milan
- New York
- Amsterdam
- Barcelona
- Singapore
- Seoul
