Study reveals the most stressful travel destinations worldwide

While many see travel as a form of escape, not every destination offers a stress-free experience.

According to the Daily Mail, researchers analysed 51 of the world’s most-visited cities to determine which ones frustrate tourists the most.

They examined factors like uncomfortable weather, crime rates, tourist crowds, and reviews mentioning stress. Surprisingly, a South African city ranked among the top 20.

The ‘City of Love’ is also the most stressful for tourists

The results showed that Paris, France, was the most stressful travel destination, attracting more than 47.5 million tourists annually, all packed into just 105km².

That puts the French capital at ten times busier than New York when measured by tourists per square kilometre. Although Paris recorded average levels of crime and weather, the sheer volume of visitors pushed it to the top of the list.

Hanoi, Vietnam, claimed second place. Its intense humidity made the city physically uncomfortable for tourists, earning it the highest score for weather-related stress.

Combined with a high number of reviews highlighting stressful experiences, Hanoi often leaves travellers feeling hot, overwhelmed, and exhausted.

In third place was Shanghai, China, which sees a staggering 300 million visitors each year – 47 318 people per km².

Shanghai also made the top 20 for both crime and stress-related reviews, sealing its position as one of the world’s most challenging destinations to navigate.

The top 20

According to the study, these were the top 20 most stressful travel destinations: