A recent list of the world’s most visited tourist attractions in Travel & Leisure magazine offers big surprises to individuals who would expect to find monuments like the Pyramids, Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Eiffel Tower topping the list. In fact, a building or monument does not even appear on the list until No. 13, when Paris’s famed Notre Dame Cathedral shows up. This new countdown reveals that most of the top ten attractions boast serious shopping or play opportunities for individuals and families.
The No. 1 and No. 2 attractions on the list are New York City’s Times Square and Central Park. Times Square has long drawn tourists with its promise of glitz, glamour, and Broadway shows. Central Park, the largest green space in the city, offers recreation and relaxation opportunities for tourists and New York denizens alike. The attraction ranked No. 3 on the list may be especially surprising to individuals who do not think of transit hubs as tourist destinations. However, Washington D.C.’s Union Station draws millions of tourists every year for architectural tours and shopping galore.
Perhaps less surprising than some entries on the list, the Las Vegas Strip comes in at No. 4. With fancy hotels, twenty-four hour gambling, and an increased number of family-friendly activities, Las Vegas has managed to stay relevant in a quickly-changing tourist industry. Removed from all the flashing lights and glamour, Niagara Falls is the first natural wonder on the list at No. 5. Located in both upstate New York and Ontario, Canada, the natural splendor of Niagara Falls enchants millions of visitors every year.
Another tourist hub famed for great dining and shopping, New York City’s Grand Central Station, is No. 6 on the list. Both an anchor of American history and a serious shopping, dining, and pedestrian area, Boston’s Faneuil Hall is the No. 7 most-visited tourist attraction in Travel & Leisure’s report. An even older shopping destination, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, is No. 10 on the list and is the only top ten attraction located outside North America. Not surprisingly, Disney World in Orlando ranks at No. 8 and Disneyland in Anaheim ranks at No. 9.
While this list of popular tourist destinations might be surprising, it certainly sheds light on how tourism is affected by the world economy. The top three destinations are free to visit, minus the cost of traveling to the cities which boast them. The rest of the destinations offer fun for singles, couples, and families who may be more interested in a getaway from daily life than they are in visiting the world’s renowned monuments and buildings.
