Paris is also back on top of the world in terms of city destinations! This honor is bestowed from the latest release of the annual Top 100 City Destinations Index by Euromonitor International. By 2025, the French capital is expecting to welcome more than 18 million international visitors. That record-breaking influx sealed its place as the world’s most popular city for the fifth year in a row.
The table showed that Paris had a staggering 18.3 million international arrivals, leaving it way ahead in first place. This dramatic increase in visitation is related to several reasons. A big reason on all fronts is Paris Saint-Germain’s recent victory in the Champions League, a victory that brought soccer fans from far and wide to experience their team’s historic victory first-hand. The restoration and reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral has produced a tremendous amount of public excitement. Today, this flagship landmark is enjoyed by millions visiting each year looking to experience the beauty and majesty.
Paris is no stranger to winning the tourism stakes in Europe. Half a dozen cities from the world’s second-most populous continent lay claim to places in the top ten. London is hardly far behind at No. 3, welcoming 22.7 million international arrivals. London has the showstopping numbers, but Paris wins out. It regularly beats out other big-name competitors, placing above both Rome and Milan, who occupy No. 2 and No. 3 spots in many rankings.
Bangkok comes in first with a staggering 30.3 million international visitors. Still, Paris has a lot working in its favor and is a great contender overall visitor experience. It beats out big cities such as New York, which comes in at No. 6 in the world. This speaks to its timeless fascination as a trip destination.
Even with its tremendous success, Paris continues to struggle with questions of tourism policy, public health and safety, and long-term sustainability. These challenges are not unfamiliar to other big cities, including New York. In response, Paris is investing in various improvements to its tourism infrastructure, aiming to enhance visitor experiences while addressing these concerns. Much like Tokyo’s current approach, Tokyo, Japan is in the midst of savvy, proactive improvements to Narita International Airport.
The robustness of Paris’s tourism sector is backed by the wealth of cultural assets and comprehensive amenities on offer. Different rankings on tourism infrastructure show that there is much to be desired and developed in this space.
