Study: America’s “Most Loved” Tourist Attraction Is in New York

A new year means a clean slate when it comes to travel plans and one location in New York is #1 on America's list.

The Empire State is already a top tourist destination, with the state boasting the world's best place for fall foliage, the most iconic landmark, most popular Christmas destination, and the most beautiful college campus on the planet.

Not only does New York have plenty of top places to visit, it also is one of the easier states to visit.

Read More: World Report Names New York Airport Best in North America

Now with 2025 officially here, the question is where are people going to want to visit this year?

According to a new study, the answer is overwhelmingly New York.

Betway Casino looked into where travelers worldwide plan to go in 2025 and found one of New York's most famous landmarks was the #1 destination in America.

Based on Tripadvisor reviews, social media engagements, and search data, the place Americans want to visit most in 2025 is Central Park.

The report explained why so many people have this on top of their lists.

This iconic New York City attraction boasts a massive social media presence with over 8 million Instagram posts and 251,000 mentions on TikTok.

The study also found Central Park overwhelmingly has positive reviews, with an approval rating of 96.87 percent.

This blew the Grand Canyon, who finished in 2nd place, out of the water.

Shockingly, New York had multiple entries in the top 10.

The Brooklyn Bridge was ranked the 5th most popular tourist destination in the country while Times Square and the Empire State Building finished in 9th and 10th place, respectively.

The study said the Brooklyn Bridge ranked so highly was because of its high social media engagement, with over 4 million social media interactions across Instagram and TikTok alone.

For those curious, here's the top 10 places tourists want to visit most in America.

1. Central Park
2. Grand Canyon
3. Myrtle Beach
4. Alcatraz
5. Brooklyn Bridge
6. Golden Gate Bridge
7. United States Capitol Building
8. Yellowstone National Park
9. Times Square
10. Empire State Building

Of course, there must be disappointment from Upstate for not getting any mentions in the upper echelons of this list.

Niagara Falls is one of the world wonders for a reason, so its absence from the top 10 is pretty disappointing considering the amazing social media content one can generate from a single visit.

Despite that, the reason why NYC ranked so highly on the list is because over 60 million tourists visit the Big Apple every year. That explains why so many people Google it and later post about their visit on social media.

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However, the surge in tourists is also having positive impacts on Central New York. Those who visit the city and enjoy a good time are seemingly encouraged to see what else the state has to offer.

Read More: Record-Breaking Tourism Generates $5.1 Billion for Central New York

Perhaps as more people "discover" Upstate, we might see some familiar attractions make the list in the years to come.