Paris Is the World’s Most Powerful City Destination, According to WTTC

The French capital city and popular destination of Paris is considered the world’s most powerful city destination for a variety of factors, including the travel industry’s contribution to GDP, employment, traveler spending and more, in a new report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

City vacations were less popular during the pandemic, but have now once again risen in their popularity. Paris’s travel industry was worth nearly $36 billion in 2022, contributing that much to the city’s gross domestic product. It’s expected it will grow to $49 billion by 2032.

While this shows just how massively popular the destination is currently, the report also noted that the city will likely cede its spot in first place to Beijing over the next decade. The Chinese economic and tourist hub currently has a travel industry worth $33 billion but is expected to reach $77 billion by 2032.

“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,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO. “Tourists will always have favorite cities that they will return to, but as other countries prioritize Travel & Tourism, we are going to see new and emerging destinations challenging the traditional favorites.”

Additionally, the report also recognized the top cities with the highest international traveler spending, which are Dubai, with nearly $30 billion in spending; Doha, with nearly $17 billion; London, with $16 billion; Macau, with $15.5 billion; and Amsterdam, with $13.5 billion.

It is expected that the top five cities with the highest international traveler spending will be Hong Kong, with $52 billion in spending; Macau, with $43 billion; Dubai, with nearly $43 billion; Singapore, with $37.4 billion; and Bangkok, with $33.4 billion.

The report was conducted jointly with Oxford Economics and sponsored by Visa.