New York City

New York City generated $74 billion in tourism economic activity in 2023, making it the highest-grossing destination in the Western hemisphere and 18 times larger than #5 Cape Town's $4.1 billion tourism revenue. With 64 million visitors, it attracted nearly three times more than #7 Bangkok's 22 million, while opening 36 new museums since 2020 and tripling the High Line. Its free summer events like Shakespeare in the Park draw 2.1 million attendees, offering cultural density unmatched by any other city on this list.