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New Yorkers need very little validation that our city is a looker. Still, it’s nice when the rest of the world agrees—especially when the competition includes Paris, Seoul and basically every other major city on Earth.
New York City has been named the third “most attractive” tourism city in the world in a new global ranking from Yanolja Research, trailing only two Japanese heavyhitters: Osaka at No. 1 and Kyoto at No. 2. Seoul landed in fourth place, while Paris (yes, that Paris) had to settle for fifth.
But before anyone starts arguing about whether the Brooklyn Bridge is prettier than the Eiffel Tower, “attractiveness” means more than just conventional good looks. Yanolja Research’s Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index is designed to measure cities from the perspective of travelers, combining how much attention a destination gets with how positively people actually talk about it. The 2026 study examined 261 cities and ultimately ranked the top 200.
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Researchers analyzed online conversations across 14 languages from June 2025 through May 2026, pulling data from platforms and sources including Instagram, YouTube, X, Reddit, Facebook, blogs, forums and reviews. (News and broadcast media were excluded and positive and negative sentiment was analyzed using AI.)
New York scored particularly well for its urban aesthetics and natural scenery, experiential tourism offerings and hospitality. In its assessment, Yanolja Research described the city as a place where Central Park and the skyline mingle with Broadway, professional sports, food, nightlife and a huge range of visitor experiences.
The methodology gives 30 percent of its weight each to urban aesthetics and natural scenery, culture and history, and experiential tourism content, with hospitality accounting for the remaining 10 percent. The overall index then combines awareness and attractiveness equally, meaning a city needs both substantial online buzz and positive sentiment to climb the rankings.
Osaka ultimately beat everyone, thanks in part to enthusiastic reactions to its food, shopping, accommodations, theme parks and nightlife, while Kyoto earned praise for its mix of traditional culture, historic sites, scenery and hospitality. As for us? Third place on Earth isn’t bad. And considering we managed to beat Paris in an attractiveness contest, we’ll absolutely be bringing that up again.