SINGAPORE: A new global study ranking the world’s top city destinations shows that Singapore is 11th and second among Asian cities. Paris ranked number one again, and Tokyo debuted on the list, landing on the number four spot.
Singapore ranked well in the following categories: Tourism Policy and Attractiveness and Health and Safety pillars.
The annual Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023 from Euromonitor, a global market research company, was published earlier this month.
The cities were ranked based on six key pillars: economic and business performance, tourism performance, tourism infrastructure, tourism policy and attractiveness, health and safety, and sustainability.
Seven out of the top 10 cities are in Europe, but Asian cities made a strong showing in the 11th to 20th spots. Euromonitor explains the strong performance of Asian cities:
“The improved rankings of these leading Asian cities can be attributed to the reopening of the Greater China region, which brought forth a substantial influx of tourists. China, being the largest source country of tourists in Asia, played a pivotal role in this regard.”
As for Tokyo’s entrance into the top 10, there has been an influx of tourists since pandemic restrictions were lifted.
Tourists are taking advantage of the Yen, which has weakened since last year. Hotel occupancy rates in the city are up, and tourism infrastructure has continued to improve.
Here is Euromonitor’s top 20 list for the year:
- Paris, France
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Madrid, Spain
- Tokyo, Japan
- Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Berlin, Germany
- Rome, Italy
- New York, United States of America
- Barcelona, Spain
- London, United Kingdom
- Singapore, Singapore
- Munich, Germany
- Milan, Italy
- Seoul, South Korea
- Dublin, Ireland
- Osaka, Japan
- Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- Vienna, Austria
- Los Angeles, United States of America
- Lisbon, Portugal
Paris, nicknamed the city of light, has unsurprisingly kept the top spot on the list.
“Paris has retained the title of the world’s leading city following exceptional performance across the Tourism Policy and Attractiveness, Tourism Infrastructure and Tourism Performance pillars,” says Nadejda Popova, a Senior Manager at Euromonitor International.
While tourism has made a strong comeback post-pandemic, Euromonitor warns against overtourism, calling it a challenge to both local communities and the environment.
“Some destinations are imposing restrictions, steep taxation or reduction of hotel capacity to help limit the influx of tourists and preserve cultural heritage, while others embrace dispersion strategies that promote alternative or off-the-beaten-path destinations,” the study noted.
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