Lead image for Just how attractive is Nairobi for tourists?.
A few days ago, I saw a posting on Instagram about a city attractiveness index that has rated Nairobi 144th of 261 cities across the world. I decided to do some research on it. Its official name is the 2026 Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index.
It is produced each year by Yanolja Research of South Korea in collaboration with Purdue University and Kyung Hee University. The Index is designed to assess the attractiveness of cities by analysing how they are mentioned by visitors online on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok – measuring how well a city is known and how attractive it is from visitors’ perspectives.
Two main factors are explored: awareness and attractiveness, where the first is about tourists’ knowledge about a city’s infrastructure, culture, history and amenities, and the second is about the feelings that are evoked by these factors. As the research report says, the awareness and attractiveness of a tourism city are mutually complementary.
A city with high attractiveness but low awareness can grow rapidly through targeted marketing; conversely, a city with high awareness but low attractiveness may suffer from a weakened reputation as negative experiences accumulate over time.
Traditional culture
The Index has four key themes that make for a city’s attractiveness: Urban aesthetics and natural scenery, including flora and fauna; Culture and history: historic and heritage sites, educational sites, religious sites and traditional culture; Experiential tourism content: food, accommodation, shopping, theme parks, nightlife, sports, activities, festivals and other events.
Hospitality: quality and kindness of service providers, friendliness of local residents, attitude of immigration and customs officers.
And so the focus is on unique natural features and scenic landscapes, such as mountains, coastlines, and valleys that are accessible within or near urban settings; the historical background and cultural identity unique to the city; the diversity of leisure activities and entertainment options available; the pleasantness of service providers and the welcome by local residents.