The report, titled “Best Places to Own a Holiday Home as a HNWI: The Lifestyle Lens”, evaluates 20 global markets using three weighted pillars: Prime Property, Lifestyle & Desirability, and Accessibility. The findings indicate that the highest-performing destinations are those where lifestyle experience, ownership conditions and investment fundamentals align.
According to the analysis, Europe’s leading position reflects a combination of climate, established luxury infrastructure, institutional stability and favourable ownership conditions. Patricia Casaburi, CEO of Global Citizen Solutions, said: “Europe’s dominance here is structural rather than incidental. The leading markets share a rare alignment of climate, luxury infrastructure, safety, and ownership conditions that continue to make the continent appealing to lifestyle-driven buyers.”
Among individual markets, Spain stands out as the only destination achieving both strong capital appreciation, at 12.5% annually, and the highest quality-of-life score in the dataset at 84.8. Portugal’s Algarve records the highest annual appreciation rate at 17.7%, combined with high safety and institutional performance, illustrating the importance of balanced performance across all evaluation pillars.
France achieves the highest score for luxury infrastructure, supporting sustained demand despite comparatively moderate appreciation levels. Italy, meanwhile, offers a lower entry price compared with Monaco and France, providing access to high-prestige property markets at reduced cost, supported by cultural heritage and long-term holding value.
The report also highlights a distinction within the top-ranked markets. Southern European destinations, including Spain, Portugal, France and Italy, are characterised by strong lifestyle appeal, higher appreciation rates and seasonal usage. In contrast, alpine markets such as Austria and Switzerland are defined by long-term value preservation, constrained supply and multi-generational ownership. Both countries record the highest safety scores in the dataset, with Austria noted as offering fewer ownership restrictions for international buyers.
Outside Europe, the United States leads in air connectivity and records the highest entry price among the top ten markets, reinforcing its position as a global hub for access and liquidity. Additional non-European destinations include Niseko in Japan, identified as an alpine market benefiting from foreign investment, and Queenstown in New Zealand, positioned as a stability-focused destination with lower annual appreciation but high safety levels.
Liana Simonyan, Researcher at the Global Intelligence Unit of Global Citizen Solutions, said: “Using a three-pillar framework, this index ranks twenty prime markets, deliberately weighting lifestyle and desirability above property fundamentals — a methodological choice grounded in how high-net-worth individuals actually experience their second homes.”
Tags: Liana Simonyan Patricia Casaburi, Global Citizen Solutions