- More than 1.3 million international travellers have chosen the capital as the most desirable European destination for 2026, ahead of Nicosia, Verona and Paris.
- The city of Madrid received more than 127,000 votes from international travellers.
- The award is given by European Best Destinations, an organisation that promotes tourism in the European Union.
- This award adds to other recognitions that Madrid has received in recent months, such as being named the world’s leading destination for meetings and conferences by the World Travel Awards.
- Madrid is thus consolidating a tourism model based on quality and generating value for the city.
Madrid has been chosen as the Best European Destination 2026, one of the most prestigious tourism awards on the continent. The capital took first place with 127,438 votes from international travellers in a contest that received more than 1.3 million votes from around the world. Madrid beat out destinations such as Nicosia (Cyprus), the Štajerska region (Slovenia), Verona (Italy) and Paris (France), which rounded out the top five.
The European Best Destinations organisation highlighted Madrid’s ability to combine a first-class cultural heritage with the dynamism of its neighbourhoods, its green spaces, its innovative architecture and an ever-evolving gastronomic scene, together with a lifestyle that connects with the aspirations of today’s travellers. The organisation emphasises that Madrid represents ‘a new urban model: vibrant and human, cosmopolitan and warm’ and that its selection reflects a clear trend among European and international travellers towards destinations that offer culture, authenticity and quality of life.
The Councillor for Tourism, Almudena Maíllo, stressed that ‘this award belongs to the people of Madrid who, with their welcoming nature, make this city a unique place’. She also thanked ‘the professionals in the sector and all those who work every day to ensure that Madrid offers the best of itself’.
Maíllo emphasised that ‘the fact that more than 127,000 travellers from around the world have chosen Madrid as the destination they most want to visit in Europe is a testament to Madrid’s positioning as a quality destination’.
European Best Destinations, based in Brussels, promotes tourism in Europe in collaboration with more than 300 tourist offices and the European Commission’s EDEN network of sustainable destinations. To select the candidate destinations, a process was carried out that combined Eurostat data analysis with search trends, social media growth and international media visibility of the destinations, followed by an open vote among registered travellers from around the world, in which participants could not vote for destinations in their own country.
With this new award, Madrid consolidates its position among the world’s most important urban destinations. In the last two years, the capital has retained its second place as the most attractive urban destination on the planet according to Euromonitor, is among the five best cities in the world according to Resonance, has been named the most desirable city in Europe according to the British magazine Wanderlust and has been awarded the best destination for conferences and meetings in the world by World Travel Awards. These accolades reflect Madrid’s leadership in tourism as a capital city that is growing in reputation, appeal and capacity to generate high-value experiences for travellers from around the world.
Source: MADRID CITY TOURISM