Brace yourself for another overpriced ice cream parlour folks – The New York Times has put Valencia in its must visit locations of 2024. We mulled over the ramifications.
Valencia named 20th best place to visit in 2024
The New York Times recently named Valencia in its annual 52 places to go list for 2024. It sits pretty in 20th place, the 5th highest European destination. The paper cites the newly opened Centro de Arte Hortensia Herrero as well as the recently pedestrianised Plaza de la Reina as examples of the revitalised city centre. It also lauds Valencia for its vibrant cultural scene and rich gastronomic tradition. The Spanish cities of Tarragona (31) and Madrid (44) both made the list last year but Valencia is Spain’s only entry this time around.
We are not quite sure what goes into deciding these lists but for us it’s preaching to the converted. In her article journalist Vivian Song points out that Valencia has long been overshadowed by its bigger brother Barcelona. While this was certainly true in the past, Barcelona seems to be attempting to pivot towards a different kind of tourism after considerable local backlash in recent years. Valencia on the other hand continues to post record numbers. More importantly for us, the city continues to be ambitious with its plans and forward thinking in its ideas.
Upsides and downsides for Valencia
At The Inside Guide, We have mixed feelings about these kinds of lists. There are undoubtedly advantages and disadvantages to having a light shone on you for the whole world to see. On the upside, we feel proud that our city has been recognised on the international stage. As the European green capital of 2024 Valencia has a unique opportunity. We hope it becomes a shining example of sustainability and drive meaningful change. The changes to the city in the last few years have made a real difference to the feel of the city. The previously mentioned Plaza de la Reina is a place the whole of Valencia can be proud of.
There is a caveat to this though. While tourism in Valencia is not yet on the scale of Barcelona or Lisbon it must learn from both. They give a clear example on what to do and perhaps more importantly what not to do when you become the next must see destination. Having lived in Lisbon I have seen the consequences of inaction first hand. These lists heighten awareness of a city and increase tourist numbers. This can change or dilute the very thing which made it so special in the first place. Those in positions of power need to consider carefully how to ensure this does not happen. Let’s hope that these kinds of conversations are already happening.
Not Valencia’s first award
What is abundantly clear is that the cat is very much out of the bag in terms of the quality of life here. This is just the latest in a long list of accolades in recent years. This has led to higher levels of tourism and more visitors to the city than ever. Whatever happens next we are certain that this kind of wider recognition will only increase the number of those who want to visit both in 2024 and beyond.
To see the full list on the New York Times website click here
