Where does the perfect city break take you? The market research institute Euromonitor International provides the answer with its new Top 100 City Destinations Index - and paints a clear picture: Europe dominates, with Paris leading the way. The French capital comes out on top in the global analysis of tourism, sustainability, economy, health and safety.
In 2025, the French capital confirmed its reputation as one of the most sought-after destinations in the world. The fact that the metropolis had a particularly strong year was due to several highlights: The reopening of Notre-Dame has attracted countless visitors since the middle of the year, and Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League success also ensured full streets and fully booked hotels. Paris recorded around 18 million international visitors in 2025 - further proof of the city's unbroken appeal.
In addition to the top position in the city ranking, Paris 2025 won another title: the "Clean Cities Campaign" named the metropolis the most child-friendly city in Europe. The reasons for this included low air pollution, strict speed limits and an exemplary, protected cycling infrastructure - elements that made Paris a model for safe, healthy mobility, not just for the youngest.
Paris was followed by an impressive European leader: Madrid secured second place, with Rome and Milan rounding off the strong performance from southern Europe. Only Tokyo (third place) broke the European dominance of the top five places. In total, six of the top ten positions went to European cities.
By contrast, the view of Berlin was less positive: The German capital, still in the top 10 in 2023, did not make it back into the top ranks in 2025 either.
While European cities dominated the top list, there was a clear winner in another category: Bangkok recorded the most international arrivals worldwide in 2025. Around 30.3 million trips were counted for Thailand's capital. Hong Kong and London followed in second place, also achieving high visitor numbers - a strong sign that the global appetite for travel continues unabated.
