On September 9th, the World Tourism Cities Federation released the "World Tourism Cities Development Report (2025-2026)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report") at the "2026 World Tourism Cooperation and Development Conference." The Report shows that the top ten world tourism cities in 2025-2026 are: New York, Tokyo, Paris, London, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Milan, Istanbul, and Dubai. Of the top 20 cities, nine are from the Asia-Pacific region. Beijing ranked fifth, up two places from last year.

The report comprehensively evaluates 100 tourist cities worldwide from six dimensions: city reputation, industry prosperity, city intelligence, tourism safety, economic contribution, and tourist satisfaction.

The report shows that, in terms of regional distribution, nine of the top 20 cities are in the Asia-Pacific region, demonstrating strong performance in areas such as visa facilitation, air connectivity, digital services, security governance, and cultural consumption innovation. Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong are among the top ten globally, while Hangzhou and Chengdu are among the top twenty, making China the country with the most cities on the list. The global landscape of tourist cities is shifting from a traditional European-American-centric model to a multi-regional and multi-level competition.

It is worth noting that the report also put forward seven policy recommendations:

First, we will strengthen the building of overall safety resilience and incorporate tourism safety into the overall framework of urban safety operation;

Second, optimize the details of the entire service chain, focusing on the tourist flow such as "arrival port - accommodation facilities - scenic spots and venues - commercial districts - departure port", and improve the level of visa, customs clearance, payment, communication, transportation, tax refund and complaint handling;

Third, accurately position the city brand and carry out differentiated communication targeting different customer markets;

Fourth, we will deepen the integration and application of artificial intelligence with the virtual and real worlds;

Fifth, adapt to changes in the generational structure of the population and build a tourism product system that is friendly to all ages;

Sixth, we should delve into cultural roots and local characteristics to develop immersive experience products that are perceptible, participatory, and easily disseminated;

Seventh, we will improve the institutional environment, focusing on green transformation, regional collaboration, and global cooperation.

The “2026 World Tourism Cooperation and Development Conference” was hosted by the World Tourism Cities Federation and organized by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism. With the theme of “Digital Innovation, Harmony and Win-Win Cooperation,” the conference brought together more than 400 guests from over 50 countries and regions around the world to discuss cooperation paths and development trends in the global tourism industry in the digital age.

(Source: China.com, Author: Wu Ceyuan)