New York City named world's most attractive tourism destination

New York City has been named the world's most attractive travel destination in the 2026 Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index. The study, conducted by Yanolja Research in collaboration with Purdue University's CHRIBA Institute and Kyung Hee University's H&T Analytics Center, ranks cities based on global social media engagement and emotional appeal rather than traditional metrics like visitor numbers or hotel capacity.

The index analyzed 261 locations using social media data in 14 languages. While New York holds the top spot and Paris ranks second, Asian cities showed strong performance, claiming five of the top ten positions. Other notable cities in the top ten include London (6th), Rome (7th), Bangkok (8th), Okinawa (9th), and Chicago (10th).

Seoul maintained its fifth-place ranking, noted for its blend of modern and traditional architecture and pop culture, while Kyoto secured fourth place. The research period for the 2026 edition spanned from June 2025 to May 2026.