With 96% global coverage and 187 countries available to our clients, it’s fair to say that the silver and red of VistaJet has seen the world in all its forms. One of our bigger markets remains catering to luxury business trips, and because of that we regularly visit the biggest and brightest cities the world has to offer, including many bases of major tech companies around the world.
When it comes to ranking the most high-tech cities in the world, there’s some stiff competition, but we’ve compiled some of locations that any serious tech-head should be looking to tick off their travel checklist.
Ask most people about technology centres of the world and their first guess will likely drift towards south-east Asia, more specifically Tokyo. If you were expecting a surprise top answer to the most high-tech city question, we’re sorry to disappoint – Tokyo is still top dog.
Home to countless major tech brands and considered the home of consumer electricals and robotics, the city also boasts the Tokyo Institute of Technology which is one of the most prestigious academic institutes in Japan. The city’s rail system already puts the UK’s yet-to-be-built HS2 project to shame, while its public transport is AI controlled.
Beyond Tokyo, two other cities in the region offer similarly impressive tech resumes. Singapore has its own claims as Asia’s central technology hub, with 80% of the world’s top 100 tech firms having a presence within a city that offers great infrastructure for burgeoning tech companies. Meanwhile, in South Korea, Seoul is a global powerhouse of information and communications technology that shares similar qualities to Tokyo with regards to its transport network and use of AI in the running of daily life.
Beyond the technology, all three cities offer standout travel experiences, each with a rich cultural scene and unique character that puts a completely different take on westernised life – making a trip of South East Asia a must for any technology fans.
The Golden State that is California offers countless reasons to pay a visit, but it also happens to be home to two of the most high-tech cities in the world in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
San Francisco headlines the North American technology scene as home to the famous Silicon Valley in the southern Bay Area. The list of tech brands with headquarters in the region are a who’s who of modern innovation, with Apple, Google, Facebook, HP, Intel, Netflix and Tesla just some of the mega brands that consider Silicon Valley their home. “Techie” culture is a massive part of San Franciscan life, with the city having one of the largest populations of tech-based workers in the world.
While most have heard of Silicon Valley, not as many will know Los Angeles’ Silicon Beach, but the area represents another huge technology hub in the state. Based on the west side of the city, the Silicon Beach coastal strip has over 500 tech companies and start-ups residing within it. Many big-name brands also have offices in the area, while hyper-successful apps such as Snapchat and Tinder were once one of the many hopeful start-ups in the region.
New York is known and loved around the world for many reasons, one of them being it is the “City of Dreams” – a business hub offering world-class internships and opportunities across all major industries to college graduates flocking to the city. Focusing in on the tech side, New York boasts one of the largest start-up ecosystems in the world, and has recently become a top location for digital technology opportunities.
Major tech operators such as Google, Facebook and Amazon have all expanded their base in Manhattan, with the city estimated to have as many as 300,000 tech workers living within it.
With Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and the rest of the city’s vast amount of tourist hotspots taking precedence in most visitors’ minds, it’s easy to forget that London remains one of the premier business hubs in the world. The capital’s technology industry was initially born out of necessity to support its world-leading financial sector, but today London’s technology scene demands respect in its own right.
Thanks to its compact but busy geography, London offers an excellent “test city” prospect to tech companies who can attain quality data sets on new systems in trial. That means the city is littered with new innovations and firsts, from Amazon Go store rollouts to zero emission taxi fleets.
Is your next trip business or pleasure? The good news is all the locations above offer both in abundance, with VistaJet gracing each one on a regular basis. Whether you’re looking to plan a visit to the most high-tech city in the world or the most secluded beach on the planet, talk to us to find out how we can help make your journey as unforgettable as the visit itself.
