Virtuoso has analysed intel from its data warehouse exceeding GBP52.9 billion in transactions and found that while upscale globetrotters continue to book eternal European favourites, Paris has risen to the top as the number one city among luxury leisure travellers.

Surpassing both Rome and London, Paris was Virtuoso’s most booked European city in 2022 – a trend that Virtuoso hotel analytics shows continuing into 2023. While New York was the most booked city overall in 2022 and is pacing 13 percent ahead of last year, Paris tops them all in 2023 and is currently pacing 96 percent ahead of 2022. Additionally, the number of trips booked to Paris in 2022 was 44 percent higher than in 2019, travel’s high-water mark.

Proving that money remains no object when it comes to luxury experiences, Paris is currently the most expensive travel option out of the top three European cities. On average, hotel rates in Paris have been 30 percent higher than in Rome and 21 percent higher than in London. Average daily rates for 2023 leisure travel bookings at Virtuoso hotels in Paris are 33 percent higher than in 2019, demonstrating the elegance and beauty of the world’s most romantic city are worth the price.

Top 10 Most Booked Cities for Leisure Travel in 2023 (to date):

1. Paris
2. London
3. New York
4. Las Vegas
5. Nassau
6. Rome
7. Miami
8. Santa Monica
9. Washington, D.C.
10. Venice

Booking analysis is based on transactional data sourced from Virtuoso’s travel agency members.