Sunlight, healthy food, sleep quality, physical exercise and access to nature were the five factors that put Portugal's capital at the top of a ranking of 47 cities.
Euronews – According to the Holiday Happiness Index ranking from BookRetreats, the Portuguese capital is the happiest destination in the world. The platform notes that recent studies show that the sense of wellbeing is increasingly a priority when people decide where to travel.
The study looked at 47 destinations across the globe, assessing factors such as exposure to sunlight, how easy it is to get around on foot and the exercise visitors do as a result, the amount of green space, the availability of healthy food and sleep quality, factors which, according to the study, are essential to wellbeing and are known to naturally stimulate the production of hormones associated with happiness in the body.
According to the analysis, a number of factors make Lisbon stand out, with food emerging as one of the main ones. The study also highlights how easy it is to get around Lisbon on foot, "despite the uneven terrain".
"Lisbon is different from all other destinations, and that is exactly what the Lisbon Tourism Association values in its strategy. The ability to offer different ways of experiencing and discovering Lisbon, while preserving what sets the destination apart and creates value for those who visit and those who live here," said António Valle, Director-General of the Lisbon Tourism Association, in a statement.