World’s top cities revealed for 2024 — and NYC has moved up the list

France’s winning streak continues — but New York City is creepin’.

Paris, France, is on a roll, keeping the No. 1 spot as the best city in the world, according to Euromonitor International’s Top 100 City Destinations ranking.

And it’s perhaps no surprise that NYC landed in the top spot for American cities in the world but No. 6 overall.

The city that never sleeps moved up a few slots compared to 2022 when it landed at No. 10.

The London-based market research company cited Paris for its “unmatched global dominance in 2024,” most notably due to tourism from “a wide array of sporting events it hosted throughout the year, including the Summer Olympic Games.”

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Following Paris’ high rating comes Madrid (2), Tokyo (3), Rome (4) and Milan (5). But the opposite end kicks off with Cairo in 100th place, followed by Chinese city Zhuhai in 99th and Jerusalem in 98th. 

Only eight other U.S. cities made the list besides NYC, including Los Angeles (18), Las Vegas (23), Orlando (33), Miami (33) and San Francisco (36).

Euromonitor International determines a city’s ranking by analyzing economic and business performance, tourism performance, tourism infrastructure, tourism policy and attractiveness, health and safety, and sustainability.

The 2024 report also revealed that global international arrivals had increased by 19%, “which was driven by strong tourism demand.”

Out of all the continents, Europe is the most popular region for travelers, reaching a whopping 793 million international visitors within the year.

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However, the city most visited by international arrivals is Bangkok with 32 million.

“The city surpassed pre-pandemic level of international tourism flows in 2023 and continued dynamic growth of over 30% in 2024,” Euromonitor International said.

Other destinations that experienced high international arrivals include Istanbul (2) with a 14% increase, London (3) with a 7% uptick, Hong Kong (4) with a 19% jump and Mecca (5) with a 20% bump.

“Despite positive recovery projections, challenges like labor shortages, geopolitical tensions and a sluggish economy will persist, limiting city growth,” said Nadejda Popova, global head of loyalty at Euromonitor International.

She explained how less traveled destinations expect a rise in popularity because travelers seek locations with hidden gems that are not oversaturated with tourism.

“Consumers will prioritize culturally enriching, personalized experiences, making them the new travel currency,” Popova added.

THE WORLD’S TOP 100 CITIES 2024

1. Paris

2. Madrid

3. Tokyo

4. Rome

5. Milan

6. New York

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7. Amsterdam

8. Sydney

9. Singapore

10. Barcelona 

11. Taipei

12. Seoul

13. London

14. Dubai

15. Berlin

16. Osaka

17. Bangkok

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18. Los Angeles

19. Istanbul

20. Melbourne  

21. Hong Kong

22. Munich

23. Las Vegas

24. Florence

25. Prague

26. Dublin

27. Kyoto

28. Vienna

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29. Lisbon

30. Venice

31. Kuala Lumpur

32. Athens

33. Orlando

34. Toronto

35. Miami

36. San Francisco

37. Shanghai

38. Frankfurt am Main

39. Copenhagen

40. Zurich 

41. Washington

42. Pattaya-Chonburi

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43. Vancouver

44. Stockholm

45. Mexico City

46. Oslo

47. São Paulo

48. Phuket

49. Helsinki

50. Brussels

51. Budapest

52. Guangzhou

53. Nice

54. Palma de Mallorca

55. Honolulu

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56. Beijing

57. Warsaw

58. Seville

59. Valencia

60. Shenzhen 

61. Doha

62. Abu Dhabi

63. Antalya

64. Fukuoka

65. Sapporo

66. Busan

67. Macau

68. Edinburgh

69. Montreal

70. Cancún

71. Bologna

72. Rhodes

73. Verona

74. Delhi

75. Porto

76. Ho Chi Minh City

77. Buenos Aires

78. Marne-La-Vallée

79. Rio de Janeiro

80. Kraków 

81. Heraklion

82. Johor Bahru

83. Hanoi

84. Tel Aviv

85. Sharjah

86. Thessaloniki

87. Lima

88. Medina

89. Tbilisi

90. Riyadh

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91. Tallinn

92. Marrakech

93. Mecca

94. Denpasar

95. Punta Cana

96. Santiago

97. Vilnius

98. Jerusalem

99. Zhuhai

100. Cairo