Jerusalem has been ranked the world's seventh-best city in the 2026 World's Best Awards by U.S. travel magazine Travel + Leisure, a notable achievement as Israel's tourism industry continues to recover from the effects of the war.
The annual rankings, based on more than 661,000 reader votes, also named Jerusalem the top city in Africa and the Middle East, ahead of destinations across the region.
The ranking marks a significant improvement from last year. In the magazine's 2025 awards, reflecting travel during 2024, Jerusalem ranked third in the Africa and Middle East category while Tel Aviv placed eighth. This year, Jerusalem rose to the top regional spot and entered the global top 10 for the first time.
Jerusalem finished seventh worldwide, ahead of internationally renowned destinations including Tokyo, Florence, Prague, Seoul and Cape Town.
San Miguel de Allende in Mexico topped this year's global rankings, followed by Kyoto, Japan; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Hoi An, Vietnam; and Oaxaca, Mexico.
Now in its 31st year, the World's Best Awards is considered one of the travel industry's most influential reader surveys. More than 207,000 Travel + Leisure readers participated in the 2026 edition, casting over 661,000 votes covering more than 10,000 hotels, cities, cruise lines, airlines and other travel businesses worldwide.
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Cities were evaluated on criteria including landmarks and attractions, culture, cuisine, hospitality, shopping and value for money.
The recognition comes as Israel's inbound tourism remains well below prewar levels.
According to the Tourism Ministry, about 1.3 million international visitors traveled to Israel in 2025, an increase from 2024 but still far below the roughly 3 million visitors recorded in 2023 and the record 4.5 million tourists who visited in 2019.
Despite the decline in visitor numbers, a Tourism Ministry survey of thousands of travelers found that 88% reported high satisfaction with their visit to Israel, while 83% said they would recommend the country as a travel destination.