Most Popular Cities In The World To Visit
The Most Popular Cities In The World To Visit
Travel
The contest between cities is highly contentious, as London, Paris and, in recent years, Bangkok all vie for the top spot among tourists.
The Most Popular Cities In The World To Visit
Trafalgar Square is one of many attraction that helped London become the most popular tourist city for the 5th time in 7 years
If you are looking for fun and excitement during your next vacation, you might want to consider adding a few of these top global tourists destinations in your itinerary. In 2015, London is projected to be the most frequented destination among travelers, but it is certainly not without rival. This is according to a research that was recently published by MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index.
London
The MasterCard Global Destinations Cities Index provides a classification of the 132 most visited cities from around the globe in terms of international overnight visitor arrivals. 18.82 million visitors are expected to visit London in 2015, as the United Kingdom’s capital reaches the top of the list for the fifth time in seven years. In 2015, the number of visitors visiting London went up by approximately 8 percent. This is not a big surprise, as the city’s many attractions make it known as a cultural hub and an ideal travel destination.
Bangkok
In 2012 and 2013, Bangkok held the first position. In 2015, Bangkok is expected to host 18.24 million travellers and, therefore, to take second place. More and more tourists are choosing to go to Bangkok because of its thrilling, beautiful, and extremely inexpensive allures. The city also serves as the perfect starting and stopping point for any tour in and around South-East Asia.
Honorable Mentions
Paris, Dubai, and Istanbul took the third, fourth, and fifth positions, with 16.06 million, 14.26 million, and 12.56 million visitors, respectively in 2015. In the meantime New York, Singapore, and Hong Kong rounded out the top ten. Dubai has constantly moved up the rankings since the launch of the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index. It ranked eighth in 2012, climbed to seventh in 2013, fifth in 2014, and fourth in 2015. The future of Dubai looks promising as it prepares itself for the Expo 2020. The Expo is one of numerous event opportunities and other key economic drivers expected to reinforce its position in the world of travel. Prospective tourists to the city is projected to increase 8 percent from last year. When examining the number of international overnight visitors that destination cities attracted per city resident, Dubai emerges as the world’s champion, with 5.7 visitors per resident, an increase of 0.8 percent over the 2014 figure.
When it comes to air travel hubs, Istanbul was ranked number 1 in the GDCI. International flights to Istanbul are cheaper when compared to the neighboring cities, so, in conjunction with its convenient geography, the city becomes a perfect starting point for trips across Europe, Asia, or North Africa. The city itself is a spectacle: an exquisite intersection of west and east. Among all the 132 cities, Istanbul had the most diverse visitor base. It attracted half of its international visitors from 33 different countries, according to the report released by the MasterCard-sponsored index. Such diversifying of visitor sources means a higher resilience against long-term economic instability. In relation to visitor cross-border spending, the city was ranked fourth as the most profitable city in Europe (Barcelona being first).
Tourist Boost To Local Economy
It is projected that 383 million overnight trips will be made to the cities covered by the MasterCard-sponsored index in 2015. The visitors are expected to spend a total of $360 billion during their holidays. London will account for the biggest portion of the spending, with its visitors spending a total of $20.23 billion in 2015 alone.
The Most Popular Cities In The World To Visit
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Rank Cities In millions
1 London 18.82
2 Bangkok 18.24
3 Paris 16.06
4 Dubai 14.26
5 Istanbul 12.56
6 New York 12.27
7 Singapore 11.88
8 Kuala Lumpur 11.12
9 Seoul 10.35
10 Hong Kong 8.66
11 Tokyo 8.08
12 Barcelona 7.63
13 Amsterdam 7.44
14 Rome 7.41
15 Milan 7.17
16 Taipei 6.55
17 Shanghai 5.85
18 Vienna 5.81
19 Prague 5.47
20 Los Angeles 5.20