City that gets ‘unjustified hate’ was just crowned best in the world

crowd of people walking at the metro entrance, in Paris city — Some say the city is ‘dirty and smelly’ but others think it’s ‘amazing’ (Picture: Getty Images)

When you think of the top cities in the world, there are likely a few that instantly spring to mind, such London, New York, Rome, and Tokyo.

But a new ranking has crowned the best 100, and you might be surprised to learn that London didn’t make it into the top 10.

And a city that often gets a lot of ‘unjustified hate’ was revealed as the number one spot.

According to Euromonitor, a data analytics company that ranks cities around the world each year to create the Top 100 Destinations Index, it’s Paris that’s the best.

Paris skyline with Eiffel Tower and trees in autumn leaf colours, high angle view, Paris, France — Paris took the top spot for the fourth year in a row (Picture: Getty Images)

This is the fourth year in a row that Paris has come out on top in the list, with Euromonitor scoring destinations based on six key pillars – tourism performance, economic and business performance, tourism policy and attractiveness, sustainability, and health and safety.

The City of Lights, which is also sometimes referred to as the City of Love, has been a hit with visitors this year as it played host to the Olympics and Paralympics for 2024.

It’s estimated that a record-breaking 11.2 million people visited the Greater Paris area this summer for the games.

And the recent restoration of Notre Dame, will likely also see even more people flock to the city in 2025.

Online the city often gets a mixed bag of reviews from tourists, with some on Reddit branding it ‘dirty’, ‘hectic’, and ‘smelly’, while others defended Paris, claiming a lot of the hate it receives is ‘unjustified’ as it’s an ‘amazing’ and ‘romantic’ place.