This European City Is the Most Powerful in the World, According to a New Ranking
The rankings took into account everything from the contribution travel and tourism make to the GDP, to employment, and traveler spending habits.
Paris is always a good idea, as the saying goes, and now it's also officially the world’s most powerful city.
The French capital was ranked as the most powerful city destination by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The rankings took into account everything from the contribution travel and tourism make to the GDP, to employment, and traveler spending habits.
Overall, travel and tourism contributed nearly $36 billion to France’s GDP in 2022, about 3.5 percent of the city’s economy that year.
Alexander Spatari/Getty Images
Beijing, which took the second spot on the list, is expected to surpass Paris by 2032. Currently, Beijing has a travel and tourism sector worth nearly $33 billion, but the WTTC predicts that will grow to $77 billion in 10 years.
China recently dropped its strict quarantine policy, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised Americans to "reconsider travel" to the country due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.
“Major cities such as London, Paris and New York will remain global powerhouses but over the next few years, Beijing, Shanghai, and Macau will be moving up the list of top city destinations,” Julia Simpson, the WTTC president and CEO, said in a statement. “Tourists will always have favourite cities that they will return to, but as other countries prioritise Travel & Tourism, we are going to see new and emerging destinations challenging the traditional favourites.”
Orlando took the third spot on the list with a travel and tourism sector worth more than $31 billion and accounting for more than 20% of the city’s economy. Elsewhere in the United States, Las Vegas came in at No. 5 on the list with a travel and tourism sector worth nearly $23 billion, accounting for 16.3% of the city’s economy.
When it came to popularity with international travelers, Dubai won out, followed by Doha, London, Macau, and Amsterdam. On that list, Paris took the No. 10 spot.
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