Here’s a list of the world’s ‘most powerful’ tourist cities

Sarah Gambles
Updated ·2 min read
A sunny day in Paris in May can be rare, but the Eiffel Tower shines in blue skies on May 17, 2017. Paris was listed as the world’s “most powerful” city by the World Travel & Tourism Council.
A sunny day in Paris in May can be rare, but the Eiffel Tower shines in blue skies on May 17, 2017. Paris was listed as the world’s “most powerful” city by the World Travel & Tourism Council. | Sarah Gambles, Deseret News

You may have a favorite city you like to visit, but according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the city of love is “the world’s most powerful city for tourism.”

What makes Paris the ‘most powerful’ tourist city?

How did the research determine Paris as the top ranking city? It “analysed key indicators such as Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP, employment and traveller spend,” per the report.

It’s not just spend that is suggesting Paris as a top tourist destination. The French city also made the tops of U.S. News & World Report’s travel rankings, which “are based on analysis of expert and user opinions.”

However, that ranking listed South Island, New Zealand, as No. 1 and Paris as No. 2.

It suggests visiting “the beloved Musée d’Orsay, shop the biggest designers on the Champs Élysées or hit the boutiques in Le Marais, take in the view atop the Eiffel Tower, or even plan a day trip to Versailles Palace.”

What other cities does the Travel & Tourism’s ranking mention?

The council did predict Paris will eventually drop to third place if trends continue in Beijing and Shanghai. Travel & Tourism predicts the Chinese cities will overtake the top two spots by 2032.

The list also takes into account museum tickets, spend on hotel rooms and investment that local and national government and business put into the cities, CNN reported.

Three cities in the U.S. made the list — Orlando, Las Vegas and New York City.

Red telephone booths are iconic London staples. This one remains on Great George Street in London, England, as of June 9, 2018. | Sarah Gambles, Deseret News
Red telephone booths are iconic London staples. This one remains on Great George Street in London, England, as of June 9, 2018. | Sarah Gambles, Deseret News

What were the top 10 ‘most powerful cities’ in 2022?

Here’s the top 10 cities “based on Direct Travel & Tourism GDP in real terms for 2022.”

  1. Paris, France.

  2. Beijing, China.

  3. Orlando, Florida.

  4. Shanghai, China.

  5. Las Vegas, Nevada.

  6. New York City, New York.

  7. Tokyo, Japan.

  8. Mexico City, Mexico.

  9. London, England.

  10. Guangzhou, China.

The evening view near the Central Business District is seen in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. The World Travel & Tourism Council predicts Beijing will be the world’s “most powerful” tourist city by 2032. | Ng Han Guan, Associated Press
The evening view near the Central Business District is seen in Beijing, Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022. The World Travel & Tourism Council predicts Beijing will be the world’s “most powerful” tourist city by 2032. | Ng Han Guan, Associated Press

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s top 10 city predictions for 2032

Here’s the top 10 cities “based on Predicted Direct Travel & Tourism GDP in real terms for 2032.”

  1. Beijing, China.

  2. Shanghai, China.

  3. Paris, France.

  4. Orlando, Florida.

  5. Las Vegas, Nevada.

  6. Guangzhou, China.

  7. New York City, New York.

  8. Macau, China.

  9. Bangkok, Thailand.

  10. Tokyo, Japan.