Top 100 City Destinations Index

Delivery

This report comes in PPT.

Key Findings

Simplified visa regime fuels incoming tourism flows

Intense competition to attract international tourists is prompting destinations to improve their visa regulations. Common measures include implementing electronic visa systems or electronic travel authorisations, introducing visa-on-arrival options and expanding short-term visa-free entry for a wider range of countries.

From tax hikes to tourist caps: Cities take more measures to control overtourism

Overtourism has become a global issue for major cities, disrupting residents' daily lives. To manage the overflow of visitors in key tourist destinations, various measures have been implemented, including increased tourism-related taxes, special transportation arrangements and restricted visiting hours.

Stricter short-term rental regulations to protect local housing market

In a bid to defend the local housing market and combat rising rents, stricter short-term rental regulations in the form of additional taxes, caps on rental nights and number of guests have been implemented. Restrictions on listing unregistered short-term rentals and limitation on the number of listings per host have led to capacity challenges for short-term rentals in 2024 for major cities.

Cultural experiences and sporting events: The new city tourism frontier

In 2024, global cities have increasingly leveraged sports and cultural events to boost tourism revenues. Infrastructure improvements and year-round marketing have attracted travellers' attention, opening up further growth opportunities.

Empowering solutions with disruptive technology

Disruptive technology and GenAI are revolutionizing city tourism practices by using real-time data about travellers' patterns, weather or transportation. This helps destinations to obtain data-driven analysis to improve tourist and residents' experiences.