New York named ‘most picturesque destination’

Madrid and London take second and third spots

New York has topped a list of the world's most picturesque destinations as travellers increasingly turn to social media to choose their next holiday destination.

Mobile phone recycling company Envirofone used scenic locations mentioned on Trip Advisor, Travel + Leisure, CN Traveller and other travel news sites to gather insights on the world's most picturesque destinations. 

Factors included the number of TikTok views and Instagram and Pinterest searches, the percentage of sunny days per year and positive social mentions of the destination.

New York topped the study, with research finding the city scored highly across social media statistics with 1.1 million monthly searches on Pinterest, 57.2 billion TikTok video views, and 9.6 million Instagram monthly searches.

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Madrid took second place with the Spanish capital racking up 34.4 billion TikTok video views and 47.1% sunny days throughout the year.

London rounded off the top three with 72.2 billion TikTok video views, 171.11 positive mentions per 100,000 tourists, and four UNESCO sites.

Paris and Lisbon completed the top five, both boasting history, iconic landmarks and diverse scenery. With 36.2% sunny days a year, Lisbon outshines Paris for sunny days but the French capital racked up 7.8 million monthly Instagram search volumes, 67.5 billion TikTok video views, and 81.17 positive mentions per 100,000 visitors.