Paris has once again claimed its crown as the world’s most alluring city, drawing in over 18 million visitors this year. For the fifth consecutive year, the French capital has topped the Top 100 City Destinations Index, a prestigious ranking compiled by Euromonitor International, a leading data analytics firm.

This year has been particularly remarkable for Paris, often referred to as the City of Light, as it welcomed an influx of tourists eager to experience the newly reopened Notre Dame Cathedral. Additionally, the city basked in the spotlight as football fans flocked to celebrate Paris Saint-Germain’s historic Champions League victory.

According to the report, Paris’s success in accommodating this surge of tourists is largely due to its robust tourism policies and well-developed infrastructure.

The index evaluates major cities worldwide, assessing them based on several factors, including tourism appeal, sustainability, economic performance, and health and safety standards.

The index looks at leading cities from around the world and ranks them on criteria including tourism, sustainability, economic performance and health and safety.

No Australian cities made the top 10.

Once again, Europe dominates the 2025 rankings with six cities in the top 10. Madrid is at number two, Rome and Milan come in fourth and fifth, Amsterdam is in seventh spot and Barcelona has climbed two places at eighth.

London, which last year dropped out of the top 10 to number 13, has continued its downward trajectory. It’s now at 18 on the list, between Hong Kong in 17th place and Kyoto at number 19. While London ranked fourth globally for tourism infrastructure, it lagged in tourism policy, health and safety, and sustainability.

Bangkok top city for international arrivals

The Asia Pacific region performed well, with Tokyo at number three, Singapore in ninth place and Seoul climbing up to tenth spot.

Tokyo was also number three in the world for tourism infrastructure, a position the city is cementing with big investments in its Narita International Airport. Plans include a third runway and the extension of the second, which is expected to double passenger capacity by 2039.

New York, once again ranking at number six is the only American city in the top 10.

Los Angeles, which has climbed five places to 13th place, is the next highest. Orlando, Florida, led the world for tourism performance, with strong domestic travel at the heart of that. This was fuelled by the opening of the Epic Universe theme park at Universal Orlando Resort in May, as well as big upgrades at Sea World and Disney World. Orlando also hosted six FIFA Club World Cup matches this year.

Bangkok is once again the top city for tourism policy and attractiveness and once again the top city worldwide this year for international arrivals. Euromonitor International estimates a whopping 30.3 million international trips there over the past 12 months.

Hong Kong is at number two for international arrivals, with 23.2 million estimated trips. London is in third spot, with 22.7 million.

Euromonitor International notes several trends this year. To tackle the problem of overtourism, cities are reframing their tourism strategies to focus on value, not volume. That means targeting visitors who stay longer, spend more and engage more responsibly with the local environment and culture.

To meet growing tourist numbers, this year, the UK and the US raised their entry fees.

The European Union is preparing to introduce its European Travel Authorisation System next year with a bumped-up fee. Japan is also considering a suite of changes, including higher visa fees and a new electronic travel authorisation system, which could launch by 2028.

Euromonitor International’s Top 10 City Destinations for 2025

Top 10 cities for international arrivals in 2025