Paris Ranks No. 1 for Five Consecutive Years
Madrid Takes Second, Tokyo Third
Seoul has been ranked as the 10th most attractive travel destination in the world.
On December 4 (local time), CNN reported that Seoul placed 10th in the "Top 100 Cities in the World" ranking, which was compiled by global data analytics firm Euromonitor International based on a comprehensive evaluation of factors such as the number of tourists and tourism infrastructure.
Seoul had dropped from 16th place in 2016 to 24th in 2018, but rebounded to 14th in 2023. Last year, it climbed two spots to 12th, and this year, it entered the top 10.
Paris, France, topped the ranking for the fifth consecutive year. This was attributed to a surge in tourists following the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral and events such as the UEFA Champions League matches. Madrid, Spain, came in second.
Tokyo, Japan, ranked third, making it the highest-ranked Asian city. CNN noted that Tokyo plans to double its passenger capacity by 2039 through the construction of a third runway and the expansion of the second runway at Narita International Airport.
Rome took fourth place, while Milan ranked fifth. New York was the only U.S. city to make the top 10, coming in sixth. Amsterdam, Netherlands (7th), Barcelona, Spain (8th), and Singapore (9th) rounded out the top 10.
London, United Kingdom, which fell out of the top 10 last year and ranked 13th, continued its downward trend this year, dropping to 18th. CNN analyzed that while London ranked fourth in tourism infrastructure, it lagged behind in tourism policy, safety, and sustainability.
This year, the city that attracted the most international tourists was Bangkok, Thailand, with an estimated 30.3 million visitors annually. Hong Kong ranked second with 23.2 million visitors, followed by London (22.7 million) and Macau (20.4 million).
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
