What do you look for when holiday planning? Beaches, attractions, dining, or...colour?
At Nottingham creative studio, Berlew, they believe that colour is inextricably tied to a city's identity, with the potential to draw tourists as strongly as all its other travel and lifestyle offerings. After all, how many of us have booked a flight just to take a photograph at Cinque Terre, the famously colourful seaside villages in Italy?
In this spirit, Berlew analysed high-resolution images taken by street photographers with computer vision technology, producing colour palettes for each of 125 of the world's top travel destinations. It then assessed it for the variety, vibrancy, and richness of their hues to produce a list of the 20 most colourful cities in the world.
Of these, only one city in Asia broke through the top 10: Jodhpur in India. Famously known as the Blue City, this Rajasthani destination teems with gorgeous blue buildings, majestic forts, and bustling bazaars. Berlew's study found six palette highlights dominated by blues: deep royal, medium, and white. It's not the most diverse of palettes, but Berlew notes that it "generates incredible visual impact across the cityscape".
Another Indian city also made it into Berlew's list: Mumbai. Berlew's analysis unearthed "earthy tones reflecting heat, heritage, and rapid urban growth. Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh sit at No. 20, thanks to its colourful shop fronts, markets, and lanterns.
The world's most colourful destinations:
- Burano, Italy
- Chefchaouen, Morocco
- Guatapé, Colombia
- Willemstad, Curaçao
- Havana, Cuba
- Cinque Terre, Italy
- Buenos Aires (La Boca), Argentina
- Jodhpur, India
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Istanbul (Balat), Türkiye
- Copenhagen (Nyhavn), Denmark
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Cape Town (Bo-Kaap), South Africa
- Port-au-Prince, Haiti
- Naples, Italy
- Mumbai, India
- Barcelona, Spain
- San Francisco, USA
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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