Mumbai: Just one Indian city has found a place in a list of world’s top 100 cities. That, too, way down at No. 74.
Despite being in the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent weeks, thanks to its poor air quality, New Delhi has made its way into the latest compilation by data analytics company Euromonitor International.
According to the report, Paris retained its ‘crown’ as the world’s most attractive city for the fourth year in a row. The global dominance of the French capital city was characterised by over 17 million inbound arrivals.
Madrid and Tokyo were ranked No. 2 and 3, followed by Italian cities Rome and Milan.
Fifty-five different metrics across six key pillars — economic and business performance, tourism performance, tourism infrastructure, tourism policy and attractiveness, health and safety, and sustainability – were used to evaluate the cities.
According to the annual report issued by Eu
romonitor International in partnership with data company Lighthouse, Europe dominates the list, though there is an increase in non-European cities.
The top 20 contains 9 cities from Europe, 6 from Asia-Pacific region, 2 each in North America and Australasia, 1 apiece in Middle East and Africa.
One significant finding of the report is that there was a 19% rise in international arrivals worldwide, with Europe being the most visited region recording 793 million international trips in 2024.
“In 2024, global cities increasingly leveraged sports and cultural events to boost tourism revenues. Infrastructure improvements and continuous marketing have attracted travellers’ attention, creating further growth opportunities,” said Nadejda Popova, global head of loyalty at Euromonitor International.
“Renewed concerns about overtourism are rising. In response, destinations continue to impose higher taxes and entry fees, promote year-round tourism, reward sustainable practices, and adopt GenAI solutions,” she added.
TOP 20 CITIES
1. Paris
2. Madrid
3. Tokyo
4. Rome
5. Milan
6. New York
7. Amsterdam
8. Sydney
9. Singapore
10. Barcelona
11. Taipei
12. Seoul
13. London
14. Dubai
15. Berlin
16. Osaka
17. Bangkok
18. Los Angeles
19. Istanbul
20. Melbourne.