From Stress to Relaxation: The 2025 Ranking of Tourist Cities

Ibiza Summer Villas has released its ranking of the world’s most and least stressful travel destinations in 2025. Analysts examined 51 cities, assessing tourist density, crime rates, climate, reviews, and search interest trends.

Overcrowded and High-Stress Leaders

Paris tops the list as the most stressful destination of 2025. The French capital, covering just 105 sq. km, welcomes over 47.5 million tourists annually. This results in an unprecedented density of 450,664 visitors per sq. km—ten times higher than New York. Paris ranks #1 in the world for tourist density and #5 in crime rate. The climate isn’t very comfortable either, with average humidity at 76% (14th most unfavorable). Despite the challenges, interest in Paris continues to grow: it holds 7th place in the search ranking, with “trip to Paris” queries up 24% year-on-year. While the city offers beauty and cultural heritage, the data shows Paris can be more of a challenge than a relaxing getaway.

Hanoi takes second place. The capital of Vietnam ranks #1 for unfavorable climate with 84% humidity—the highest of all cities analyzed. It is #4 in share of stress-related reviews and #24 in crime rate (index 45). Tourist density is moderate at 8,295 per sq. km (38th), but the city still experiences overload due to climate discomfort and frequent mentions of noise and crowding in reviews. Hanoi ranks 11th in popularity and search interest is up 19% this year.

Shanghai is in third place, welcoming around 300 million tourists annually. It ranks 15th in visitor density (47,318 per sq. km) but #3 for growth in search interest (+64% in queries) and is in the global top 20 for crime rate. It ranks 19th for negative reviews and 20th for climate discomfort. The city’s scale and activity make it a unique experience, but travelers must be prepared for queues, hotel competition, and an intense urban pace.

Other cities in the top 10 most stressful destinations include Berlin, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur, London, Hong Kong, Cairo, and Rome. Los Angeles deserves a special mention, ranking 12th overall but #1 in negative reviews, and New York (13th overall) ranking 8th in crime rate while having a high tourist density.

Destinations Offering the Most Relaxing Experience

On the other end of the spectrum are the cities offering the least stressful stays. Dubai leads this list, with 17.1 million visitors annually. It ranks just 43rd in density and #2 in safety (crime index 16.1). Dubai is 10th in minimal negative reviews and 44th in climate comfort. Interestingly, it ranks last (51st) in search interest—a 79% drop in queries, which reduces queues and crowds.

Munich takes second place, combining safety (21.1 crime index) with moderate tourist density (27,357 per sq. km, 20th). The city ranks 44th in stress mentions in reviews and 34th in climate comfort. Search interest has dropped 16% (48th place), making it less crowded.

Melbourne comes third, standing out with extremely low tourist density—just 1,265 per sq. km (47th), comfortable humidity (52%), and a relatively low crime rate (27th). Search popularity is moderate (35th), preserving a sense of space and calm.

Other cities in the top 10 least stressful include Vienna, Sydney, Reykjavik, Istanbul, Ibiza, Lisbon, and Beijing. Ibiza is particularly notable: despite its party reputation, it has a density of 5,907 tourists per sq. km (39th), below-average humidity (63%), and a mid-range crime index (50.05), making it less crowded than many major European cities.

Conclusion

The Ibiza Summer Villas study shows that popularity does not always mean comfort. High tourist density, rising visitor numbers, and unfavorable climate can turn a holiday into a challenge. For a truly relaxing getaway, travelers should consider not only visual appeal but also objective factors such as safety, queues, climate, and search interest trends.