Jerusalem Ranks Seventh Globally in Travel + Leisure’s 2026 Best Cities List

Amid ongoing challenges in Israel's tourism sector, Jerusalem achieved a significant international milestone by ranking seventh in the World’s Best Awards 2026 by the American travel magazine Travel + Leisure. The ranking was based on over 661,000 votes from the magazine’s readers, placing Jerusalem ahead of well-known destinations such as Tokyo and Prague. Additionally, Jerusalem was named the best city in the Africa and Middle East region, marking a notable improvement from the previous year when it ranked third regionally and did not make the global top ten.

This year’s list, marking the 31st edition of the World’s Best Awards, included more than 207,000 readers who cast over 661,000 votes covering over 10,000 hotels, cities, airlines, cruise lines, and other travel-related businesses worldwide. The rankings consider factors such as attraction quality, cultural offerings, culinary scene, tourist friendliness, shopping experience, and value for money.

The top 20 cities for 2026 include San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), Kyoto (Japan), Chiang Mai (Thailand), Hoi An (Vietnam), Oaxaca (Mexico), Bangkok (Thailand), Jerusalem (Israel), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Mexico City (Mexico), Tokyo (Japan), and others.

Jerusalem’s rise in the rankings comes as Israel’s tourism industry continues to recover from recent setbacks. According to the Ministry of Tourism, approximately 1.3 million tourists visited Israel in 2025, an increase from 2024 but still below pre-war levels. For comparison, 3 million tourists visited in 2023 and 4.5 million in the peak year of 2019. A ministry survey found that 88% of tourists expressed high satisfaction with their visit, and 83% said they would recommend Israel as a travel destination.

This recognition highlights Jerusalem’s growing appeal on the global tourism stage despite ongoing regional challenges, signaling positive momentum for Israel’s travel industry moving forward.