Tokyo (Japan) offers the world's best working holiday in 2025

Japan's capital Tokyo tops the list of cities that will meet the world's best working holiday standards in 2025, according to a report by the International Workplace Group (IWG), the world's leading company in flexible workspaces.

The findings are part of IWG's third annual "Work from Anywhere Barometer" report, which ranks the top cities for working holidays around the world - places where travelers can combine work and leisure.

Tokyo took the top spot thanks to its "exceptional" broadband speeds, reliable transport infrastructure, safety, unique culture and digital nomad visa, the report said.

In addition, the city also enjoys a location close to mountains, coastal areas and national parks - ideal for working professionals looking for a vibrant urban atmosphere, along with natural spaces," according to IWG.

IWG ranked 40 countries on a scale of 1 to 10 based on the following 12 criteria: climate; accommodation; cuisine ; transportation; standard of living; broadband speed; happiness levels; availability of flexible workspaces; cultural quality; digital nomad visa; proximity to beaches, mountains or national parks; digital nomad visa.

Hybrid‍ work‍ is known as a flexible working model that combines working in the office and working remotely.

In this year's report, 86% of workers in this model said the availability of flexible workspaces was a key factor in deciding their destination.

“Thanks to the hybrid work model and cloud technology, employees now have the freedom to work wherever and whenever they want,” said Mark Dixon, founder and CEO of International Workplace Group.

In this ranking, Tokyo, Seoul, Rome, Paris and Valletta are new names to the list.

Seoul made the list thanks to its “super-fast internet, efficient public transport and thriving digital nomad community, supported by South Korea’s digital nomad visa,” the report said.

Meanwhile, Budapest dropped from first to third place, but remains a popular choice thanks to its food and happiness index.

The report also listed the top 10 cities in Asia for working holidays, including Singapore, Jakarta, Manila, Mumbai and Hong Kong (China).

Singapore remains a favorite destination for hybrid workers, scoring highly in areas such as food, happiness, broadband speeds and sustainability. The report also cited its “island-wide 5G network, seamless urban mobility” and green spaces.

However, the cities of Barcelona, Beijing and Lisbon, despite being popular choices, fell down the list this year.

Cities like Mexico City, Cape Town, Prague, Melbourne, Orlando and Reykjavik are among the emerging work-leisure destinations, scoring highly for criteria like digital nomad visas and proximity to nature.

This trend is set to continue as more companies adopt flexible working and remote working policies, especially in the summer months and in the long term. “This not only improves work-life balance and reduces burnout, but also has significant productivity benefits,” Dixon stressed.

Here are the top 10 cities for workcations in 2025, according to IWG:

1.Tokyo

2.Rio De Janeiro

3.Budapest

4.Seoul

5.Barcelona

6.Beijing

7.Lisbon

8.Rome

9.Paris

10. Valletta

According to CNBC