There are hundreds of exciting cities across the globe—yet many Americans aren’t exploring them.
Eleven percent of Americans said they have never been outside of the state they were born in and 13 percent of Americans said they have never flown on an airplane, according to recent data from OnePoll.
A new ranking gives a glimpse at what some of these stay-at-home types are missing. Resonance Consulting evaluated a group of cities and ranked them based on their travel worthiness.
The list contains some familiar international destinations, but also some U.S. cities. New York, for instance, made the list while being cited for having more than 40 Broadway plays launched last year, according to the report. New York ranked first in the culture category, which measures the quality and quantity of performing arts recommendations from locals.
Here is Resonance Consulting's list of best cities to visit, in ascending order:
10. Chicago
Chicago ranked fifth for local university. The University of Chicago ranks third among the top public universities and colleges, according to a report from U.S. News. The city also ranked seventh globally in the roduct category, which ranks the livability of a city and the quality of airports, public transportation and tourist attractions.
9. San Francisco
San Francisco is located only 45 minutes south of Silicon Valley and attracts some of best and brightest talent to its shores. Not surprisingly, this city has the sixth-highest per capita GDP and ranked among top 10 in the prosperity category.
8. Barcelona, Spain
Travelers can find the intersection of culture and decadence in the European city of Barcelona. The city hosts miles of beaches, five-star dining in inviting cafes, idyllic weather year-round. Barcelona ranked second behind Tokyo in the place category that measures the quality of the environment in a city.
7. Dubai, UAE
Dubai is a religiously tolerant, socially liberal, innovative city located on the coastline of the United Arab Emirates. The city is well known for its luxurious shopping and signature architecture. As a result, Dubai ranked number one city in the Middle East, according to Resonance Consultancy.
6. Singapore
Over time, Singapore has transformed from a politically unstable city lacking its own resources to an emerging Asian financial superpower. The city-state is recognized as Asia’s wealth management capital and ranks in the top 10 among cities with the highest per capita GDP. Singapore has its own version of New York’s Fifth Avenue, with a variety of high-end fashion and entertainment options. Of the 13.1 million visitors to the city last year, travelers spent more in Singapore than in any other city.
5. Tokyo
Tokyo ranked number one in the place category for its neighborhoods, landmarks, parks and outdoor activities. Rinshi-no-mori Park and Shinjuku Gyoen Gardens are popular destinations, complete with Japanese teahouses and French formal gardens. Tokyo is also safe— according to 2015 statistics, there were only 75 murders among 10 million people.
4. Moscow
Moscow has been the focal point of global fascination over the past few years following the arrival of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and political focus from presidential candidates. This year, tickets to the World Cup got fans into the country without a visa. The city’s world famous transit system ran 24 hours during the event.
3. Paris
Despite the terrorist attacks of 2016, France is making considerable effort to stabilize its interior economic resilience. The city will be focusing on its outer suburbs, where many refugees and immigrants have settled. According to city literature, the city is planning to “even out disparity between territories while building a sustainable city” by implementing the Grand Paris Project. The project is a strategic plan to improve transportation and transit, economic development and skills training within these outer zones.
2. New York
A record-breaking 60.3 million tourists visited the Big Apple in 2016 to explore the culinary decadence, theatre scene and sprawling attractions. Not surprisingly, visitors are spreading the gospel—the city had the second-most Facebook check-ins and populated the fifth-most Google search results in the world.
1. London
When it comes to shopping, culinary offerings and nightlife, London reigned supreme and ranked first in the programming category, which indexes the experiences of tourists and residents. When it comes to cuisine, the city has transformed its lackluster reputation and gained eight new Michelin-starred restaurants. It has the most starred South Asian restaurants on the globe.
The full report can be viewed here.
