Key Takeaways

• Beijing ranks seventh globally for tourism, improving one spot from the previous year.
• Five Chinese cities made the top 10 for city intelligence, emphasizing advancements in smart technology.
• Beijing’s inbound tourism increased by 46.2% in the first half of 2025, highlighting its growing appeal.

Global Tourism Rankings for 2025

The World Tourism Cities Development Report (2024-2025) has placed Beijing in seventh position globally for tourism, a one-spot improvement from the last evaluation. This report was released during the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development 2025, underscoring Beijing’s comprehensive strength as a tourist destination.

Shanghai and Hong Kong also performed well, ranking ninth and 11th, respectively. The top three cities were New York, Tokyo, and Paris. The report indicates that China is making significant strides in smart city development, highlighted by the inclusion of five cities—Beijing, Shanghai, Macao, Hong Kong, and Hangzhou—among the top ten for city intelligence.

Beijing further secured fifth place in the World Tourism Destination Potential Competitive Index Report (2025), which assesses cities based on criteria such as cultural appeal, safety, and smart tourism. Shanghai was also honored with a ninth-place position in this evaluation.

Mayor Wei Xiaodong of Beijing remarked on the city’s growing attractiveness to international tourists, noting that around 2.92 million inbound visitors were recorded from January to July 2025, marking a significant increase of 46.2% compared to the previous year.

Peter Semone, Chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), commended Beijing for its harmonious blend of cultural heritage and modern advancements. He emphasized the city’s strength in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism and its strategic aim to be a global tourism hub. He stated, “Beijing now boasts more world heritage designations than any other city in the world,” attributing this success to long-term policies aimed at preserving and promoting cultural assets.

The conference, themed “Smart Tourism for a Win-Win Future,” gathered nearly 400 delegates from 66 countries and regions, focusing on cooperation and emerging trends in the smart tourism sector.

The content above is a summary. For more details, see the source article.