Asian cities have dominated the annual MasterCard Global Destinations Cities Index, taking up as many as five spots in the list of top 10 destinations for international travel.
Bangkok has again emerged as Asia’s most visited destination, with 18.24 million overnight travellers expected to visit the city in 2015. Overall, the Thai capital is ranked number two, right behind the top-placed London. Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul and Hong Kong have been ranked at seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th spot respectively. Paris, Dubai, and Istanbul are the remaining three cities in the top 10.
At the top of the heap, the English capital is projected to receive 18.82 million international visitors in 2015. London and Bangkok have taken the top two spots in the Index for the last five years.
New York was the top North American city in projected overnight visitors, and sixth in the world. However, the Big Apple, with $17.37 billion, is number two in the world when it comes to projected international visitor spending. London, at $20.23 billion, tops the list in regards to tourist spending.
The Global Destinations Cities Index ranks 132 of the most visited cities in the world. The cities are ranked in terms of total international overnight visitor arrivals and the cross-border spending.
Top Fastest Growing Cities in the World
Among the world’s top 10 fastest growing travel destinations, seven are in Asia. Sri Lanka’s capital city of Colombo, with an incredible 21% surge, is number one on the list. Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan province, follows in second. Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, is placed third in terms of fastest growth, while Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is at the fifth position.
Lima, Peru, is the fastest growing city in South America and is ranked ninth, globally. Houston is the fastest growing city in North America.
