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Europe is home to 63 of the top 100 city destinations in the world, according to a new ranking.

Compiled by global market research company Euromonitor International, the Top 100 City Destinations Index compares tourism, sustainability and economic performance in metropolises around the globe.

Released this week, the 2023 results were dominated by European destinations, with Paris in France topping the list.

Also in the top 10 were Madrid in Spain, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Berlin in Germany, Rome in Italy, Barcelona in Spain and London in the UK.

They were joined by just three non-European cities: Dubai in UAE (2nd place), Tokyo in Japan (4th place) – its first appearance in the top 10 – and New York in the US (8th place).

How are cities ranked in the destinations index?

Cities are ranked on 55 metrics in six key categories to give an overall attractiveness score.

Categories include economic and business performance, tourism performance, tourism infrastructure, tourism policy and attractiveness, health and safety, and sustainability.

Points are awarded for things like tourism demand, accessibility, use of smart technology and conservation projects.

Paris once again took the crown, with continuous improvements being made in the lead up to the 2024 Olympics.

In 10th place, London is hailed by the index as having the best tourism infrastructure in the world, while Berlin’s ‘Off to B’ campaign to boost tourism in remote districts of the city landed it in 6th place.

Which cities made the top 20?

European cities continue to dominate in the top 20, with Munich, Germany in 12th place, followed by Milan in Italy.

Dublin in Ireland sits in 15th place after launching the country’s first 3D city map, Vienna in Austria is in 18th and Lisbon, Portugal in 20th.

Beyond Europe’s borders, Singapore took 11th place, Seoul in South Korea came 14th, Osaka in Japan 16th, Hong Kong 17th and Los Angeles, USA, 19th.

Europe’s success is driven by rapid urbanisation and widespread technology adoption, according to the report. With the rise of remote working, high-speed internet, flexible booking and comfortable work environments became an important factor in 2023.

Sustainable tourism – including good public transport networks and measures to combat overtourism – were also high on the agenda this year.

Vilnius in Lithuania (92nd place) made it into the top 100 for the first time, thanks to its improved tourism performance.