Welcoming around 22.7 million international visitors, Bangkok ranked as the top destination for global travelers this year, according to Mastercard's 2019 Global Destination Cities Index.
The commendation is a repeat for the Thai capital, as it was named the world's most visited city for the past four years.
Paris and London, in flipped positions this year, hold the No. 2 and 3 spots, respectively both hovering over 19 million. Dubai (15.93 million) and Singapore (14.67 million) are rounding out the top five. All top ten cities saw more international overnight visitors in 2018 than the prior year, with the exception of London, which decreased nearly 4 percent.
According to the report, Global Destination Cities Index ranks 200 cities based on proprietary analysis of publicly available visitor volume and spend data. Notably this year, the Global Destination Cities Index offers a decade of insights to consider, with three key trends standing out: consistent & steady growth, sustained dominance of major cities, and the rise of Asia-Pacific international travellers.
cities in the Asia-Pacific region have seen the most growth in international visitors since 2009, growing 9.4%.
Dubai was named as the top city for international visitor spending globally at $30.82 billion. With the average traveler to Dubai spending three and a half nights in the emirate, that translates to a whopping $553 per night. Mecca was named second ($20.09 million) while Bangkok ($20.03 million) ranked third, as cited by Forbes.
“In today’s interconnected world, travel has become an important part of how we work and how we live,” said Carlos Menendez, president, Enterprise Partnerships.
“It’s critical for us to understand how travel impacts cities and destinations for the better and the challenges it poses, to ensure local leaders have the information and solutions they need to succeed.”
