World’s Most Instagrammable Cities and SItes: Dubai, Paris, London and New York City Soar; FIFA World Cup Boosting Tourism in U.S. and Canada;

A new report maps out the world’s most Instagammable destinations for 2026. Dubai, New York City and Paris did extremely well, as did Banff, Alberta and Niagara Falls, Ontario. California cities also scored highly.

Here’s the Players Time list of most Instagram-worthy cities for this year.

1. Dubai
2. London
3. Paris
4. Barcelona
5. New York City
6. Istanbul
7. Los Angeles
8. Mexico City
9. Tokyo
10. Singapore
11. Amsterdam
12. Bangkok
13. San Diego
14. San Francisco
15. Rome
16. Santiago (Dominican Republic)
17. Seoul
18. Kochi, India
19. Budapest
20. Prague

World’s Most Instagrammed Landmarks

Paris. Chris Karidis/Unsplash Photo

1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai
2. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
3. Grand Canyo, Arizona
4. Times Square, New York City
5. Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Tokyo
6. Taj Mahal, Agra, India
7. Louvre Glass Pyramid, Paris
8. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
9. Machu Picchu, Peru
10. Big Ben and Westminster Bridge, London
11. Niagara Falls, Ontario and New York state
12. Cappadocia, Turkey
13. Banff Avenue, Alberta, Canada
14. Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris
15. Positano Clifftop, Italy
16. Statue of Liberty, New York City
17. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
18. Brooklyn Bridge, New York City
19. Dolomite Mountains, Italy
20. Colosseum, Rome, Italy

For those of you keeping score at home, that’s three California cities in the top 20 cities list. Paris and New York city each have three landmarks in the top 20, The USA has 5.5 landmarks in the top 20. Italy has 3, and Canada has 1.5.

To compile the report, the team at PlayersTime developed a bespoke Instagrammability Score, combining global monthly Google search demand analysed via Ahrefs Keyword Explorer with cross-platform hashtag volume measured across Instagram and TikTok. The Index covers over 240 locations across three categories: cities, landmarks, and unusual places. All metrics were normalised to a 0-100 scale and combined into a single score, with Instagram hashtag volume given additional weighting to reflect its continued role as the primary platform for travel inspiration.

FIFA WORLD CUP HAVING MAJOR TOURISM IMPACT IN NORTH AMERICA

Following Expedia Group and PredictHQ’s partnership announcement earlier this year,  findings revealed more than $8.1B in total traveller spend across host cities between June and August 2026 – a $750M year‑over‑year increase.

Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington. Jim Byers Photo

Just a month out from kick-off, the new landing page on Expedia Group’s website spotlights standout insights such as:

• Traveller intent from the Canadian market to Kansas City rose by a striking 343% YoY
•  
• Host cities Kansas City and Monterrey are early leaders, with huge YoY increases in both lodging and travel intent:
• Kansas City: travel intent up +135%; lodging intent up +305% 
• Monterrey: travel intent up +100%; lodging intent up +25 YoY
•  
• Spillover markets are surging even faster than host cities
•  
• San Francisco travel intent is up +15%, while surrounding areas are significantly higher. Across the bay, Contra Costa County (which includes fine communities such as Walnut Creek, Danville, Pleasanton and Livermore) is up +670% YoY. A little closer to SF, Oakland is up 110 % YOY, while Santa Cruz County, a delightful area south of San Francisco) is up 65% YOY.
• Houston travel intent is up +185%, while nearby Montgomery County has climbed +540%. Elsewhere in the area, Galveston County is up +45% YoY and Fort Worth is up +175% YoY
• Cities surrounding Seattle, Washington have also seen a spike in travel intent. Tacoma is up +220% YoY, while  Snohomish County is up +200% YoY

International fans are proving especially high value

• In Kansas City, international travel intent has surged +1220% versus +75% domestic, with similar gaps appearing in:
• Atlanta: International +255% (vs. +5% domestic) 

• Dallas: International +255% (vs. +14% domestic)

• Houston: International +185% (vs. +16% domestic)

MOANA SURFRIDER IN HAWAII COMPLETES RENOVATION

The Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa that’s sometimes called the “First Lady of Waikiki,” has officially completed its landmark resort-wide renewal.

A renovated room at the Moana Surfrider hotel on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii.

I’ve stayed there at least once or twice, and have dined there a couple of times. It’s a magical, historic and elegant spot on a terrific stretch of Waikiki Beach in the underrated city of Honolulu.