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Edinburgh Named UK's Most Recommended City by AI, Ahead of London and Manchester, New Study Finds
02 Nov 2026
New research by Go Vista AI reveals the UK cities most frequently recommended by six artificial intelligence models. Edinburgh leads with an AI Recommendation Score of 71.6, while London ranks highest for average placement when mentioned.
Edinburgh has been named the UK's most recommended city by artificial intelligence, outperforming London, Manchester and Bristol in a new study examining how AI chatbots suggest travel and lifestyle destinations.
The research, published by Go Vista AI in October 2026, analysed recommendations generated by six AI models across 20 questions covering UK destinations, including tourism, culture, food, nightlife and places to live.
Edinburgh achieved an AI Recommendation Score of 71.6 out of 100, appearing in 93% of the AI-generated answers analysed. London followed with 65.2 points, while Manchester ranked third with 63.1.
The study highlights the growing influence of AI-generated recommendations on how people discover and evaluate cities. As travellers increasingly use conversational AI to research destinations, the visibility of individual locations within AI-generated answers could become an important consideration for tourism organisations and local authorities.
How the UK's Most AI-Recommended Cities Were Identified
Go Vista AI examined the performance of UK cities across six artificial intelligence models, using the same 20 questions to evaluate how consistently destinations appeared in generated recommendations.
The questions explored categories including travel, culture, food, nightlife and residential appeal. Each AI model was asked to provide recommendations, with the researchers recording which cities appeared in its top-ten lists.
The analysis considered how frequently each city appeared and where it was positioned within the recommendations. These factors were combined into an AI Recommendation Score out of 100.
The resulting ranking measures how consistently cities were recommended under the study's testing conditions. It does not independently evaluate their quality of life, economic performance or attractiveness to visitors.
Top 10 UK Cities Most Recommended by AI
| Rank | City | AI score /100 | Mentioned in AI answers | Top-three rate | Average position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh | 72 | 93% | 62% | 3.3 |
| 2 | London | 65 | 69% | 65% | 1.5 |
| 3 | Manchester | 63 | 90% | 45% | 4.0 |
| 4 | Bristol | 55 | 90% | 26% | 4.9 |
| 5 | Glasgow | 32 | 67% | 9% | 6.2 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 31 | 66% | 7% | 6.3 |
| 7 | Birmingham | 31 | 53% | 14% | 5.1 |
| 8 | Leeds | 27 | 57% | 7% | 6.3 |
| 9 | York | 26 | 48% | 11% | 5.5 |
| 10 | Bath | 26 | 41% | 18% | 4.7 |
Source: Go Vista AI, October 2026. Scores are rounded as presented in the research. Top-three percentages are conditional on a city being mentioned.
Edinburgh Leads With the Highest AI Recommendation Score
Edinburgh emerged as the strongest overall performer, with an AI Recommendation Score of 71.6.
The Scottish capital appeared in 93% of the AI-generated answers, making it the most frequently mentioned city in the study. When Edinburgh was recommended, it appeared among the top three suggestions 62% of the time.
Its average ranking position was 3.3, indicating that the city was not only frequently included but also generally placed towards the upper end of recommendation lists.
The report separately notes that Edinburgh attracted approximately 2.56 million international overnight visitors in 2024. Visitor figures were not included in the AI scoring system.
Edinburgh's performance suggests that its established presence in online travel content may contribute to its visibility in AI-generated destination recommendations.
London Ranks Second but Secures the Highest Average Position
London ranked second overall with a score of 65.2, despite having the strongest average placement of any city analysed.
The UK capital appeared in 69% of responses, but when mentioned, its average position was 1.48. It also appeared among the top three recommendations in 65% of the answers that included it.
These figures show an important distinction between how frequently a city is recommended and how prominently it appears when selected.
London also recorded approximately 21 million international overnight visitors in 2024, substantially exceeding the visitor numbers reported for the other leading cities.
However, the study found no direct relationship that would justify treating international visitor volume as the determining factor in AI recommendation rankings.
Manchester and Bristol Show Strong Visibility Across AI Models
Manchester secured third place with a score of 63.1, appearing in 90% of AI-generated responses.
Of the recommendations mentioning Manchester, 45.2% placed the city in the top three. Its average ranking position was 3.99.
Bristol followed in fourth place with a score of 54.6. Like Manchester, Bristol appeared in 90% of responses, but its top-three placement rate was substantially lower at 26.3%.
This difference indicates that both cities were consistently recognised by the models, although Manchester was more likely to receive a prominent position.
The report also references approximately 1.52 million international overnight visitors to Manchester and 450,500 to Bristol in 2024.
Glasgow completed the top five, achieving a score of 32.1 and appearing in 67% of AI-generated answers. Its average recommendation position was 6.23.
What AI Recommendations Mean for City Tourism and Digital Visibility
The findings raise questions about how artificial intelligence could influence the visibility of destinations in an increasingly digital tourism market.
Traditional destination discovery has relied on search engines, travel publications, tourism websites and recommendations from other travellers.
Conversational AI introduces another channel through which people can receive a curated shortlist of locations based on their interests.
For tourism organisations, destination marketers and local authorities, appearing regularly in these answers could influence which places prospective visitors consider researching further.
However, high visibility within AI responses should not automatically be interpreted as a measure of visitor satisfaction or destination quality.
A spokesperson for Go Vista AI explained:
Where a city lands in these answers says at least as much about how much has been written about it online as it does about how good a destination it actually is.
The company argues that AI systems may repeatedly recommend cities with extensive online coverage while overlooking less-documented destinations.
This could present challenges for smaller cities and emerging tourism locations seeking to attract international attention.
Can Smaller Cities Compete in AI-Driven Destination Discovery?
The results suggest that digital information may become increasingly relevant to how destinations are represented by AI systems.
Cities with substantial online coverage, accessible tourism information and well-documented cultural attractions may be more likely to appear in generated recommendations.
However, the study does not establish exactly why each AI model selected particular locations, nor does it demonstrate that increasing online content would necessarily improve a city's ranking.
For less prominent destinations, the findings raise questions about how tourism organisations can communicate their distinctive attractions through reliable, current and accessible information.
Cities may need to consider how their cultural institutions, visitor experiences and local businesses are represented across digital platforms.
Such efforts should focus on improving the quality and accessibility of destination information rather than attempting to manipulate AI-generated rankings.
AI Is Changing How People Discover Cities
The research highlights a developing relationship between artificial intelligence and urban visibility.
Edinburgh's first-place ranking, London's stronger average placement and the consistent appearance of Manchester and Bristol show that AI models can produce different patterns of destination recognition.
While the study provides a snapshot of recommendations generated in October 2026, its findings should not be treated as permanent rankings. Responses may change as AI models, online information and user questions evolve.
The results nevertheless demonstrate why AI-generated recommendations are becoming relevant to discussions about tourism marketing and city branding.
For cities seeking to reach new audiences, understanding how they appear in AI-assisted discovery could become an additional part of their digital strategies.
The wider question is whether these systems will help travellers discover a broader range of destinations or reinforce the visibility of places that already dominate online travel information.
About Go Vista AI
Go Vista AI is the organisation behind the October 2026 research examining how artificial intelligence models recommend UK cities. The study evaluates the frequency and prominence of cities appearing in AI-generated destination lists, providing insights into the relationship between online visibility and AI-assisted travel discovery.
Website: https://www.govistaai.com
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Sara Srifi
Sara is a Software Engineering and Business student with a passion for astronomy, cultural studies, and human-centered storytelling. She explores the quiet intersections between science, identity, and imagination, reflecting on how space, art, and society shape the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. Her writing draws on curiosity and lived experience to bridge disciplines and spark dialogue across cultures.
