European Cities Solidify Strong Presence in 'Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index', with Paris Securing No. 2 Spot

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SEOUL, South Korea, July 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Yanolja Research, a global research institute specializing in the travel and tourism industry, today announced the inaugural "Yanolja Attractiveness Index" at the <2025 Global Tourism City Attractiveness Evaluation> seminar. This new index objectively evaluates the appeal of major tourism cities worldwide, distinctly from the perspective of global travelers.

Developed jointly by Yanolja Research, Purdue University's CHRIBA in the U.S., and Kyung Hee University's H&T Analytics Center in Seoul, Korea, the index evaluated the attractiveness of 191 tourism cities. While Osaka, Japan, secured the global top spot, European cities demonstrated a powerful and widespread appeal, with Paris leading the continent by ranking an impressive 2nd overall.

European Dominance and Evolving Trends in Global Tourism

The 2025 Yanolja Attractiveness Index underscores Europe's significant influence in the global tourism landscape, with multiple European destinations ranking within the global Top 50. London secured 6th place, followed by Rome (8th) and Berlin (22nd), reflecting their consistent global appeal in both historical legacy and urban vitality.

Other high-ranking European cities included Barcelona (25th), Madrid (29th), Venice (32nd), Florence (34th), Milan (37th), Brussels (42nd), and Nice (44th). These results demonstrate the widespread recognition of urban tourism appeal across major European countries—including the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Belgium.

New Metric Evaluates Tourism Cities Through 'Affection'

The "Yanolja Attractiveness Index" differs from traditional "tourism competitiveness" evaluations by focusing on the actual travel consumer's perspective. It measures a tourism city's "appeal" through two core pillars: "Tourism City Attractiveness" and "Tourism City Reputation." This comprehensive evaluation spans four key dimensions: Beauty and Natural Scenery, Culture and History, Experiential Content, and Hospitality.

Commenting on the research findings, Dr. SooCheong Jang, Professor at Purdue University and Head of Yanolja Research, stated, "The 'Yanolja Attractiveness Index' is the first attempt to analyze a tourism city's 'appeal' factors through the actual voices of tourists, going beyond infrastructure-centric evaluations. The strong performance of cities across diverse regions, including Europe, demonstrates how dynamically tourist preferences are changing. Moving forward, for tourism cities to lead the global market, discovering and communicating their unique charm will be a core strategy."

Yanolja Research plans to regularly announce the "Yanolja Attractiveness Index" annually. Detailed results and analysis are available on the official Yanolja Research website: Yanolja Research Official Website.