World’sBestCities.com has unveiled its list of, well, the world’s top cities.
To no one’s surprise, London, New York and Paris take the podium spots, followed by Tokyo and Singapore. Rounding out the top 10 were Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin and Sydney.
That’s six European cities in the top 10, which tells you something. In fact, I count 28 European cities in the top 100.
The website says they considered a variety of factors, both the “performance and perception of cities around the world.
I can’t say I fully understand the methodology, but I think they’ve missed the mark on a few places. I would put Montreal much higher than 35th (definitely top 30), and I’d also bump Detroit (59) and Pittsburgh (78) up the list.
I don’t see how anyone can put Dubai (13) above L.A., Toronto, or Chicago. It doesn’t have nearly enough real experiences to make my top 25.
I was happy to see my hometown (I was born a couple miles away, in Oakland) of San Francisco in the 12th spot, and to to see my adopted city of Toronto in the 15th position. I can tell you for a fact that San Francisco lovers hate it when L.A. finishes ahead of them, so they’ll be happy to be two places ahead of Los Angeles. I also note that two other California cities made the top 100; San Diego at 46 and San Jose at 62.
Likewise, I like seeing Honolulu on the charts at 58, as it’s a highly underrated city with fabulous beaches, Hawaiian culture, great museums and fabulous world cuisine. And I enjoy seeing Singapore in the fifth spot, as it’s a tremendously vibrant and extremely safe city with fabulous food and tons of attractions.
Canada scored very well. Toronto was at 15 and Vancouver at 22, followed by Montreal (35, as mentioned), Ottawa (52), Calgary (54) and Edmonton (65). Personally, I’d add Halifax to the list, but that’s just me. For those of you keeping score at home, the U.S. had 36 cities in the top 100, while Canada had six. The U.S. is the only country that had more cities on the list than Canada.
Australia had Sydney at the 10 spot and Melbourne at 25, with Perth at number 83 and Perth at 90. Auckland, New Zealand was a solid 47th.
Florida scored pretty well, as Miami was in the 23rd spot, Orlando (a surprising city) 37th and Tampa 91st.
I was surprised to see Hong Kong so far down at 97, but that might be a political/freedom issue, which I fully understand.
Finally, how on earth does anyone put Salt Lake City ahead of Glasgow and Valencia?
The City of Arts and Sciences is a sleek bit of architecture in Valencia, Spain. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Here’s the top 25:
- London
- New York
- Paris
- Tokyo
- Singapore
- Rome
- Madrid
- Barcelona
- Berlin
- Sydney
- Amsterdam
- San Francisco
- Dubai
- Los Angeles
- Toronto
- Seoul
- Chicago
- Vienna
- Seattle
- Milan
- Boston
- Vancouver
- Miami
- Stockholm
- Melbourne
And here’s the website with the full list.
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PORTER AIRLINES ADDS OTTAWA TO TAMPA AND FORT MYERS
Margaritaville Beach Resort, Fort Myers Beach, Florida. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Folks who live in or near Ottawa got an early Christmas present from Porter Airlines today.
The Canadian airline says it’s inaugurating two new seasonal routes this week from Ottawa, with nonstop service to Tampa and Fort Myers. They’re both terrific Florida cities with so much to offer.
Service between Ottawa International Airport (YOW) and Tampa International Airport (TPA) begins today (Nov. 22) with up to four weekly departures, and Ottawa-Fort Myers (RSW) takes off Nov. 28, with up to three weekly flights.
Porter already flies to Tampa and Fort Myers from Toronto Pearson/YYZ.
HOT TRENDS FOR 2025: ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORTS AND TRIPS TO ITALY AND JAPAN
TRAVELSAVERS Canada looked at key trends for 2025 and found that all-inclusive travel emerged as the top trend, given its appeal to relaxation-minded travellers who prize its convenience and value. Family travel, active and adventure travel, luxury travel, and river cruising completed the top five.
Bucket-list travel was named the top emerging trend, with travellers yearning to book trips of a lifetime. That was followed by personalized experiences, authentic travel, home-style accommodations, and off-the-beaten-path/exotic travel.
TRAVEL SAVERS TOP DESTINATIONS FOR 2025
Roman ruins in Rome, Italy. JIM BYERS PHOTO
TravelSavers, a travel agency group, asked its advisors about key destinations for next year. Here’s what they came up with.
Top 2025 Destinations
- Italy
- Portugal
- Dominican Republic
- Riviera Maya
- Alaska
Top 2025 Up-and-Coming Destinations
- Japan
- Morocco
- Eastern Europe
- South Africa
- Vietnam
Jim’s Thoughts
Italy is a perennial fave, and Portugal, which is reasonably cheap compared to most European countries, has been near the top of the charts for at least a decade. The DR is always popular with Canadians, as is the Riviera Maya. I didn’t expect to see Alaska on the list, but perhaps people are interested in an Alaska cruise or in visiting a cooler destination during a time of climate change.
Japan has been hugely popular the past couple years, to the point that Fodor’s recently suggested people avoid parts of Tokyo and Kyoto due to over-tourism. Morocco has been climbing the charts the last couple years, perhaps due to its combination of safety and exotic culture and geographic variety. As tourists crowd into cities like Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Venice, it’s not surprising to see Eastern Europe on the list. It’s generally less crowded than the west, and it’s usually cheaper, too. Everyone seems to like Prague and Budapest, but I’m also a fan of Bratislava in Slovakia and just about anywhere in Slovenia, which I like to call the “tiny perfect country.”
My wife and I had an excellent trip to South Africa prior to the pandemic, and also to Vietnam eight or nine years ago. The food is terrific and it’s a dirt-cheap destination with beautiful scenery.
