Mastercard produces an annual ranking of the most popular cities. This year, the Global Destination Cities Index included 162 cities from around the world in its ranking.
Several criteria are taken into account when creating the ranking, including the number of visitors, the number of days spent in the respective destination, data on travel expenses, and souvenirs purchased. Additionally, the Global Destination Cities Index also makes predictions about the cities tourists will visit in 2019.
First place in the ranking is held by Bangkok, Thailand, which maintained its leading position. Compared to 2017, the number of tourists increased this year by nearly 10%. Dubai (ranked 4th in the Mastercard ranking) is the leader in terms of tourist spending in a single day: $537 on average, writes cntravel.com.
10th Place. Antalya, Turkey – 11.27 million foreign tourists
9th Place. Tokyo, Japan – 12.12 million foreign tourists
8th Place. Istanbul, Turkey – 12.8 million tourists
7th Place. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 13.53 million tourists
6th Place. New York, USA – 13.67 million tourists
5th Place. Singapore – 14.47 million tourists
4th Place. Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 16.66 million tourists
3rd Place. Paris, France – 17.95 million tourists
2nd Place. London, United Kingdom – 20.42 million tourists
1st Place. Bangkok, Thailand – 21.98 million tourists
The following positions were held by: Seoul, South Korea (11th), Phuket, Thailand (12th), Makkah, Saudi Arabia (13th), Pattaya, Thailand (14th), Palma de Mallorca, Spain (15th), Milan, Italy (16th), Hong Kong (17th), Barcelona, Spain (18th), Osaka, Japan (19th), Bali, Indonesia (20th).
Source: Wall-Street
Frequently Asked Questions
Which city was the most visited in 2018?
Bangkok, Thailand, was the most visited city in 2018, hosting approximately 21.98 million international tourists.
Which city had the highest daily tourist spending?
Dubai ranked first for daily spending, with tourists spending an average of $537 per day.
What criteria are used for the Global Destination Cities Index?
The index considers visitor numbers, length of stay, travel expenditures, and souvenir purchases to rank the cities.