European cities dominate global tourism rankings

05-07-25

Yanolja Research, in collaboration with Purdue University and Kyung Hee University, has unveiled the inaugural Yanolja Attractiveness Index, placing Paris as the second most attractive tourism city in the world, just behind Osaka, Japan. The announcement was made during the 2025 Global Tourism City Attractiveness Evaluation seminar held in Seoul, South Korea.

The Yanolja Attractiveness Index evaluates 191 global tourism cities using social media data in 14 languages, in partnership with Brandwatch UK. The index takes a unique, traveler-centric approach, measuring a city’s appeal based on actual global consumer sentiment and online reputation, rather than infrastructure or policy.

The 2025 results highlight Europe’s dominant role in global tourism, with multiple cities across the continent securing spots in the Top 50. Paris, renowned for its timeless elegance, art, and romance, emerged as the highest-ranked European destination, reaffirming its status as a perennial global favorite.