A new study exposes which popular city breaks from around the world could harm your health. This is according to experts at QR Code Generator who looked at global Google search trends over the past year to determine the results.
The team researched the most sought-after holiday spots in the US and Europe and assessed the air quality scores for each destination. The worse a city’s air quality, the higher its score.
Therefore, the city breaks with over 100,000 average monthly searches and the highest air quality scores determined the ranking.
Paris takes the top spot, with an air quality score of 66. The French capital received 185,633 average monthly searches for city breaks despite, commuter traffic causing extreme pollution levels in the area.
In second place is Chicago, scoring 58 for its air quality. Chicago O’Hare International Airport is one of the busiest in the US, which contributes to the damaging pollution in the city. However, the city remains attractive to visitors as it garnered 130,968 average monthly searches.
Benidorm is third, with an air quality score of 57. The Spanish destination is another city plagued by traffic pollution, but this did not deter tourists who generated 101,775 average monthly searches for Benidorm breaks.
Barcelona is fourth, scoring 56 for its air quality. Traffic in the Spanish city has caused poor air quality, but Barcelona still received 114,431 average monthly searches for city breaks.
At number five is Amsterdam, with an air quality score of 55. A total of 202,893 average monthly searches were made for city breaks in Amsterdam, despite the area’s traffic and international shipping industry causing hazardous air quality.
London came 15th on the list with an air pollution score of 15 with busy traffic in the capital being a contributing factor. However, the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) came into effect in the capital to tackle emissions. Dublin and Orlando followed behind in 16th and 17th place with scores of 17 and 16 respectively.
Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, said: “It is concerning to see such high pollution levels in popular holiday spots. Poor air quality can be harmful to children and those with asthma, and exposure to pollution can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and respiratory illness for everyone.
“We believe it is essential for people travelling to or living in highly polluted cities to protect themselves. We recommend wearing masks, reducing outdoor exercise, and investing in a portable air purifier.
“There is promise for the future, as many cities are implementing low-emission zones to tackle pollution. For example, by 2030, only electric or hydrogen fuel cars will be permitted to enter Paris, which was the first city in France to introduce the concept.”