With winter just around the corner, many of us are already pre-planning how we can get ourselves into the festive spirit. Therefore, now is the perfect time to decide which Christmas markets you might like to visit this year.
To help you decide, and in the spirit of all things Christmas, Planet Cruise has conducted a new study revealing the top Christmas markets worldwide, based on seven factors:
- Number of stalls
- Open dates
- TripAdvisor ratings
- TripAdvisor reviews
- Social media posts
- Positive social sentiment
- Google search demand
By analysing these distinct factors and creating a comprehensive index, the study concluded which markets are the most must-see Christmas markets in the world!
New York’s, Bryant Park Winter Village crowned the top Christmas market in the world for 2022
| Ranking | Christmas Market | Location | Number of Stalls | Days Open | Tripadvisor Rating |
| 1. | Bryant Park Winter Village | New York City, USA | 170 | 129 | 4.5 |
| 2. | Hyde Park Winter Wonderland | London, UK | 200 | 45 | 4 |
| 3. | Toronto Christmas Market | Toronto, CA | 80 | 45 | 4.5 |
| 4. | Spruce Meadows Christmas Markets | Calgary, CA | 414 | 9 | 4.5 |
| 5. | York Christmas Markets | York, UK | 100 | 37 | 4.5 |
| 6. | Union Square Holiday Market | New York, USA | 200 | 32 | 4.5 |
| 7. | Frankfurt Christmas Market | Frankfurt, GE | 250 | 32 | 4.5 |
| 8. | Dresden Christmas Market | Dresden, GE | 260 | 44 | 5 |
| 9. | Wroclaw Christmas Market | Wroclaw, PO | 80 | 32 | 4.5 |
| 10. | Krakow Christmas Market | Krakow, PO | 80 | 32 | 4.5 |
*The table shows three out of the seven factors analysed. For more data breakdowns please ask.
With a total of 330 social media posts and a TripAdvisor review score of 4.5, the Bryant Park Winter Village in New York has been ranked the number one Christmas market in the world. Each year, the ginormous public park in Midtown Manhattan for 129 days of the year is transformed into a magical winter wonderland complete with a free-to-use 17,000-square-foot ice-skating rink and no less than 170 festive stalls and food kiosks.
London’s Winter Wonderland comes in a close second with a TripAdvisor review score of 4 and over 1600 social media posts. Also making it into the top three Christmas markets in the world, with over 650 social media posts and a TripAdvisor review score of 4.5, is the Toronto Christmas Market in Canada.
Germany and the UK revealed as the MOST festive countries in the world
| Country | Number of ranking Christmas markets in the top 50 |
| Germany | 14 |
| United Kingdom | 14 |
| United States | 4 |
| Austria | 3 |
| Belgium | 2 |
| Canada | 2 |
| Hungary | 2 |
| Poland | 2 |
| Finland | 1 |
| France | 1 |
| Ireland | 1 |
| Romania | 1 |
| Slovakia | 1 |
| Sweden | 1 |
| The Netherlands | 1 |
Overall, the study found that the UK and Germany were the most festive countries when it came to Christmas, dominating 28% of the top Christmas market scene. Both countries had a total of 14 Christmas markets making the world’s top 50 list, making them some of the most festive countries in the world.
The top-ranking Christmas markets in the UK were London’s Winter Wonderland, York, Belfast, Gloucester, and Chatsworth. Meanwhile, in Germany, Frankfurt, Dresden, Marienplatz Munich, Cologne Cathedral, and Numberg Christmas markets were the top ranking.
Commenting on the research, a spokesperson from Planet Cruises says: “Christmas is around the corner and what better way to enjoy the festive time than spending time with your loved ones at one of the world’s best Christmas markets? With travel being more accessible today it is magical that people can experience the festive season in a variety of different countries. Experiencing the different festive traditions, food, drink, decorations, weather, atmosphere, and everything that comes with this time of year is a must-do experience.”
