Porto has been named Europe’s joint fastest-rising city, climbing five places in a new ranking that tracks how often cities are talked about online and in the media.
The northern Portuguese city shared the top spot for the biggest rise with Manchester in the latest edition of Europe’s Most Talked About Cities, an annual report by consultancy ING.
“The ranking is widely used as a leading indicator of how visible cities are in the online conversation, which in turn is linked to their overall success in attracting tourism, investment, business and prosperity,” ING says in a statement.
This year’s report expanded from 60 to 70 cities across Europe, “reflecting the fact that more places are generating enough attention to compete than ever before,” it adds.
“Despite that tougher competition – and despite many cities slipping down the table – Porto climbed five places, the joint biggest jump of any city in the ranking alongside Manchester,” the consultancy experts say.
The rise comes after Porto was named Best European City Destination in 2025, boosting its international profile. The Portuguese city has now overtaken several established European hubs, including Marseille, Prague, Oslo and Geneva in the rankings.
Major capitals continue to dominate the top of the ranking. The top 10 most talked-about cities in Europe are Paris (1st), London (2nd), Madrid (3rd), Rome (4th), Milan (5th), Barcelona (6th), Berlin (7th), Amsterdam (8th), Brussels (9th) and Valencia (10th).
Portugal does features in the wider list, with Lisbon ranked 18th and Porto 25th place.
ING’s research team says Porto’s rise reflects its evolution from an alternative destination into a city with growing international influence.
“Porto has benefitted from changing travel patterns across Europe. As Lisbon has faced increasing pressure from overtourism, Porto’s authenticity, affordability and walkability have attracted crowds away from the capital,” says Lucie Murray, Head of Cities at ING.
“Porto is no longer being framed as an ‘alternative’ destination. It is now part of the mainstream European travel and lifestyle conversation, with sustained year-round coverage rather than seasonal spikes,” she adds.
Porto’s overall visibility has risen by 57% year-on-year, and the city is now the 11th most visible in Europe on TikTok, climbing 30 places on one of the continent’s fastest-growing platforms, according to the report.
“As its popularity increases, Porto continues to attract international travel and lifestyle coverage beyond the peak tourist season, helping to keep the city visible throughout the year,” the report says.
“Porto’s rise reflects a city that has moved from being discovered, to being referenced. When coverage moves beyond travel features into wider international conversation, attention becomes more likely to translate into real momentum,” Caz Facey, Director of Cities, Culture and Place at ING, says.
“The cities climbing fastest this year are those that pair digital visibility with recognition in trusted media. Porto is achieving both.”
The report highlights not just how often cities are mentioned, but where that coverage comes from.
On top of growing their overall visibility, nine of the ten fastest-rising cities this year also strengthened their presence in what ING terms high-trust, authoritative media outlets such as Le Monde, Die Zeit and The Financial Times. Porto climbed three places year-on-year for the share of its coverage appearing in these established sources.
“This shift reflects a broader trend – cities that combine distinctive identity with consistent storytelling are more likely to convert rising popularity into sustained visibility,” ING says.
