
NYC is no stranger to superlatives–like it being named the most culturally diverse city on the planet and the best city in the world–but this one is arguably the most appropriate for the city that never sleeps: NYC was just named the world’s #1 destination for night tourism!
Experts over at Travelbag have seen an increase in the popularity of nighttime tourism, or “noctourism,” with travelers beginning to crave something a bit different from your usual, run of the mill daytime sightseeing. In fact, searches for the term “night safari” have jumped by 22%, proving that globetrotters are all about discovering the world after the sun goes down.
Thus, US travel specialists at the company analyzed over 100 major global cities using data on Instagram hashtags, noise and light pollution, nighttime safety, and number of late-night venues in order to uncover which cities are the best to explore once the sun goes down. And they found that New York is the number one city for exploring after dark.
The study pointed out NYC’s 2,302 late-night venues and more than 40,800 Instagram posts with the hashtag #NewYorkatnight. The downside: the city’s light and noise pollution score isn’t as low as we’d hoped for, coming in at a 69 out of 100. Of course this doesn’t surprise us, and the lights do make NYC the prettiest city at night, but it does present itself at a nuisance during times when we’re trying to seek out the northern lights or a meteor shower!
The ranking writes, “From twilight views atop the Empire State Building to midnight walks through Times Square’s electric glow, New York is a masterclass in urban nightscapes.” Geoff Dobson, Regional Destination Manager for The Americas at Travelbag, added:
There’s no place quite like New York at night. It’s loud, luminous, and alive. From jazz clubs in Harlem to rooftop cocktails in Brooklyn, the city offers unforgettable moments around the clock.
The top ten prettiest cities in the world at night are as follows:
1. New York, USA
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Dubai, UAE
4. Singapore, Singapore
5. Muscat, Oman
6. Kyoto, Japan
7. Sydney, Australia
8. Seoul, South Korea
9. Toronto, Canada
10. Melbourne, Australia
Explore the full ranking on Travelbag’s website.