How Destination Score™ Works
Methodology Overview
Destination Score™ is designed to help destination leaders and travelers alike understand places more clearly, using structure instead of hype and context instead of rankings alone.
Travel decisions are shaped by many overlapping factors — safety, cost, infrastructure, culture, climate, and crowding — yet most travel information is fragmented, subjective, or optimized for engagement rather than clarity. Destination Score™ brings these elements together into a single, consistent framework that allows destinations to be compared fairly and interpreted responsibly.
This methodology explains how Destination Score™ is built, where its data comes from, and how individual scores should be understood. Each category is calculated using publicly available data, normalized to ensure global comparability, and presented in a way that emphasizes direction and context rather than false precision.
Destination Score™ does not aim to declare winners or losers. Instead, it provides a structured lens for understanding trade-offs — recognizing that destinations differ by design, scale, season, and visitor demand. Scores are intended to inform, not prescribe, and to support better travel decisions without replacing personal judgment or local knowledge.
As the platform evolves, the underlying definitions of each category remain stable, allowing Destination Score™ to improve accuracy and granularity over time while preserving interpretability and trust.
How the Official Destination Score™ Is Calculated
The Official Destination Score™ is a composite score designed to summarize multiple aspects of a destination into a single, comparable measure.
Each destination is evaluated across six core dimensions:
- Safety
- Affordability
- Accessibility
- Attractions
- Vibe
- Seasonal Comfort
Each category is scored independently using its own data sources and methodology, then normalized to a common 0–100 scale so results are globally comparable.
The Official Destination Score™ is calculated by combining these category scores using equal weighting, producing a single citywide score that reflects overall destination conditions rather than any one factor in isolation. Seasonal Comfort acts as a contextual modifier, adjusting scores to reflect how conditions vary throughout the year without permanently penalizing destinations for short-term or seasonal effects.
Importantly, Destination Score™ does not aim to rank destinations as “good” or “bad,” or to declare winners and losers. Scores are designed to surface trade-offs, context, and structure — helping travelers understand how destinations differ, where strengths and constraints exist, and how conditions align with individual preferences. The resulting score is directional and comparative, intended to improve transparency and decision-making rather than replace personal judgment or experience.
One platform, consistent standards
Across all applications:
- The scoring methodology does not change
- Scores are not adjusted for partners or clients
- Findings are separated from advocacy
- Limitations and uncertainty are explicitly acknowledged
These principles are formalized in the Scoring Integrity Charter, which governs how Destination Score is produced and applied.
To see more methodological detail, download the full methodology here.
Framework and methodology documented at github.com/destinationscore/destinationscore