Study reveals: BRUSSELS among the best cities in the world to spend a weekend

Best Cities to Spend a Weekend

Study uses data to identify the top 100 destinations for a weekend getaway and reveals the best choices for millennials, families and baby boomers

London, United Kingdom ranks as the best city to spend the weekend overall, coming out top for concerts, theatre and cinema, and ranking highly for museums, accommodation options and LGBT friendliness.
Berlin, Germany ranks as the top recommended destination for millennials, Vienna, Austria for families and Zurich, Switzerland for baby boomers.
Brussels, Belgium ranks number 33 in the top 100.

Berlin, Germany, 11/10/2017 – Online weekend getaway portal and app, weekenGO have released a study revealing the top 100 best cities to spend the weekend, with London, UK taking the top spot. The results give an overall score for each city, but also indicate which destinations are best for three different types of travellers; millennials, families and baby boomers. As a company who lives and breathes weekend travel breaks, weekenGO undertook the study to define what exactly makes a city great for a short visit, and to help travellers of different age groups and dynamics to choose a destination which best caters to their interests.

To determine the categories for the study, weekenGO first considered what factors affect a weekend trip. Several criteria are important to travellers no matter their age or affluence, for example how easy a city is to navigate, the ease of finding accommodation and the number of green spaces. To highlight which cities are best for millennials, families and baby boomers, the number of social locations such as restaurants, bars and clubs were included, as well as cultural activities such as museums, art galleries and theatres. In addition, safety and tolerance were factored into the research, looking specifically at data on women’s rights and safety, LGBT friendliness and the perception of security. The study began with the top 1,000 cities determined by the number of visitors based on the UN-WTO. The researchers then analysed all of these factors to create a ranking of the top 100 best cities to visit for the weekend.

To create the individual scores for millennials, families and baby boomers, weekenGO looked at traveller’s interests on a macro level to determine the best overall representative score. Each category is scored, with a high score indicating high desirability for this factor and a low score indicating a low level of attractiveness for tourists.

“Given the fact that we looked at over 1,000 cities worldwide, every destination that made it to this top 100 ranking ought to be on your weekend getaway bucket list.” commented Tobias Boese, co-founder and managing director of weekenGO. “Cities at the top of the ranking such as London, Paris and New York are iconic for a reason, but those cities at the bottom of the ranking such as Casablanca and Belgrade still have a great deal to offer for an unforgettable weekend trip.”

The table below shows a breakdown of the results for Brussels, Belgium. Rankings for each category are out of 100, with 1 being the best possible rank. Scores are out of 100, and the higher the score, the better:

Brussels, Belgium ranks 33
City Factors
Mobility (Ranking/Score)		Walkability		Green Spaces		Accommodation
67	84.62	45	90.62	60	82.50	33	87.86
Social
Dining		Bars		Clubs		Music Venues
38	88.79	32	90.61	36	89.39	18	94.74
Activities
Concerts		Cultural Events		Museums and Galleries		Theatre and Cinemas
35	89.70	4	99.09	69	78.79	69	79.39
Safety and Tolerance
Women’s Rights and Safety		LGBT-Friendly Score		Security
70	79.82	49	85.46	71	78.49

Best For…
Millennials Score		Families Score		Baby Boomers Score		Total Score
40	86.73	48	85.22	29	87.42	86.66

N.B.The full results and methodology can be found here: https://www.weekengo.com/en-EN/study/100-top-destinations-to-spend-a-weekend.html

The table below shows the top 10 best cities to spend the weekend, with a sample of the criteria used to determine the total score. For the methodology, please see the bottom of this press release or the full results page:

#	City	Country	Walkability	Dining	Museums and Galleries	LGBT-Friendly Score	Total Score
1	London	United Kingdom	88.30	98.49	99.70	98.49	94.15
2	Berlin	Germany	91.09	89.39	99.09	99.40	93.98
3	Vienna	Austria	87.08	91.52	98.18	95.76	93.15
4	Hamburg	Germany	93.39	90.91	90.30	86.97	92.68
5	Paris	France	88.22	99.09	97.58	96.97	92.66
6	Amsterdam	Netherlands	90.40	79.70	95.76	99.70	92.61
7	New York City	USA	85.35	99.39	97.88	97.58	92.08
8	Munich	Germany	90.13	89.09	90.30	93.64	92.07
9	Barcelona	Spain	91.00	93.70	95.50	99.09	92.07
10	Madrid	Spain	86.78	93.40	93.33	100.00	91.60

The table below shows the top 10 cities for millennials, including a sample of the criteria included to determine the final ranking for this age group:

#	City	Country	Bars	Clubs	Concerts	Women’s Rights and Safety	LGBT-Friendly Score	Millennials Total Score
1	Berlin	Germany	96.97	97.88	98.18	90.55	99.40	93.34
2	London	United Kingdom	98.79	98.49	100.00	87.70	98.49	93.28
3	Amsterdam	Netherlands	95.15	91.21	97.27	94.24	99.70	92.54
4	Vienna	Austria	92.73	95.46	95.15	86.67	95.76	91.81
5	Paris	France	97.88	96.97	98.49	82.55	96.97	91.74
6	Toronto	Canada	89.70	93.03	96.67	92.61	99.39	91.66
7	Zurich	Switzerland	84.55	90.61	94.55	96.73	80.30	91.02
8	Dublin	Ireland	93.33	89.70	93.64	88.42	93.33	90.84
9	Munich	Germany	89.09	95.46	96.36	90.91	93.64	90.79
10	Edinburgh	United Kingdom	88.49	82.42	92.12	90.61	92.73	90.78

The table below shows the top 10 cities for families, including a sample of the criteria included to determine the final ranking for this age group:

#	City	Country	Green Spaces	Cultural Events	Museums and Galleries	Security	Families Total Score
1	Vienna	Austria	92.81	98.18	98.18	96.97	94.46
2	Amsterdam	Netherlands	85.60	98.49	95.76	92.73	91.98
3	Prague	Czech Republic	85.00	99.39	92.12	88.18	91.71
4	Tokyo	Japan	74.69	94.24	98.79	98.49	91.68
5	Zurich	Switzerland	97.50	93.03	81.52	100.00	91.41
6	Hamburg	Germany	83.44	99.70	90.30	98.79	91.31
7	Berlin	Germany	86.50	97.88	99.09	84.24	91.21
8	Edinburgh	United Kingdom	99.69	94.55	80.00	94.24	91.20
9	London	United Kingdom	85.00	98.79	99.70	77.27	90.59
10	Munich	Germany	83.44	95.20	90.30	95.46	90.41

The table below shows the top 10 cities for baby boomers, including a sample of the criteria included to determine the final ranking for this age group:

#	City	Country	Mobility	Dining	Cultural Events	Security	Baby Boomers Total Score
1	Zurich	Switzerland	88.04	85.15	93.03	100.00	92.95
2	Vienna	Austria	90.43	91.52	98.18	96.97	92.45
3	Hamburg	Germany	86.14	90.91	99.70	98.79	91.70
4	Edinburgh	United Kingdom	88.99	78.79	94.55	94.24	91.18
5	Prague	Czech Republic	91.96	86.97	99.39	88.18	91.07
6	Singapore	Singapore	96.13	95.15	89.70	96.06	90.88
7	Vancouver	Canada	91.29	89.70	100.00	86.06	90.53
8	Tokyo	Japan	89.30	100.00	94.24	98.49	90.43
9	Munich	Germany	86.84	89.09	95.20	95.46	90.20
10	London	United Kingdom	86.05	98.49	98.79	77.27	90.09

N.B.The full results and methodology can be found here: https://www.weekengo.com/en-EN/study/100-top-destinations-to-spend-a-weekend.html

Further Findings:

Graz, Austria ranks as the most walkable city.
Stuttgart, Germany ranks number 1 for most green spaces.
Rome, Italy ranks best for most accommodation options.
Tokyo, Japan ranks as the best city for best dining, and is also part of the Family and Baby Boomer top 10 ranking.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ranks as the best for bars.
Shanghai, China ranks number 1 for the best club options.
Paris, France has the most music venues.
London, UK has the highest rank for concerts, theatres and cinemas.
Vancouver, Canada ranks number 1 for the most cultural events.
Los Angeles, USA ranks highest for the most museums and galleries.
Oslo, Norway ranks as the safest place for women.
Madrid, Spain ranks as the most LGBT friendly.
Zurich, Switzerland ranks number 1 for security and is included in the top 10 ranking for all age ranges.