New Study: NYC Dominates Top Tourist Destinations in the United States

As has been widely reported, the United States is the top country for tourism in 2024.

That’s according to data released in May by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the University of Surrey.

It’s an admirable position to be in. And aligns with another recent report from the World Travel & Tourism Council, which revealed that the United States is the world’s most powerful travel and tourism market,
contributing a record-breaking $2.36 trillion to the nation’s economy last
year.

But let’s take an even deeper dive and find out where specifically everyone is going when they explore the United States.

The retreat booking platform BookRetreats.com has made that task even easier. They recently analyzed 77 of the most popular points of interest across the country to identify the top 20 tourist attractions in the United States.

The ranking is based on an evaluation of such factors as place popularity, overall experience (according to over 7,500 visitor reviews), and even hotel costs.

Based on this criteria, the nation’s top tourist attraction is New York City’s historic and sprawling Central Park. The total overall score for the park was 4.075 out of a potential 5 points on the ranking.

“Overall, New York’s Central Park is the most worthwhile attraction in the US. Offering 843 acres of lush greenery in the middle of the city, it’s an urban escape unlike any other in the world,” says the report.

Close behind in second place is the National Mall in Washington D.C., which earned a score of 3.994, followed by San Diego’s popular Balboa Park with a score of 3.795.

The National Mall with a view of Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/kmiragaya)

The remainder of the attractions in the top 20 are dominated by New York City hot spots. Here’s a closer look at the additional locations among the top 20.


4.Smithsonian National Museum of History, Washington D.C.
5.Times Square, N.Y., N.Y.
6.Rockefeller Center, N.Y., N.Y.
7.Niagra Falls, Buffalo, New York
8. Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California
9. Magic Kingdom Park, Orlando, Florida
10. Brooklyn Bridge Park, N.Y., N.Y.
11. Hoover Dam, Boulder City, Nevada
12.The High Line, N.Y., N.Y.
13.Fountains of Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada
14.Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado
15.The Metropolitan Museum of Art, N.Y., N.Y.
16.Zion National Park, Utah
17.San Antonio River Walk, San Antonio, Texas
18.ICON Park, Orlando, Florida
19. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
20. Brooklyn Bridge, N.Y., N.Y.

Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. (Photo Credit: TTstudio/Adobe)

Nature is where it’s at

The BookRetreats report also offered a few additional takeaways, when it comes to the country’s most popular attractions, including:

Nature is the top draw for visitors to this country. That’s evidenced by the fact that 50 percent of the best places to go in the US were found to be natural sites, says BookRetreats.

“While America is known for its impressive theme parks, it’s the natural wonders that really stand out to tourists,” says the report.

Thrills, on the other hand, fall flat. To that end, the report shows 70 percent of the bottom 10 U.S. attractions are theme parks. Sorry Mickey Mouse, it seems you may not be top of mind for visitors.

Biggest tourist traps, according to the report? Hollywood Walk of Fame, SeaWorld San Diego, and Six Flags Great Adventure.

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