PURCHASE, N.Y.–A new study from Mastercard reveals that since 2009, the number of international overnight visitors grew a dramatic 76%.
Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index—which ranks 200 cities based on proprietary analysis of publicly available visitor volume and spend data—reveals that Bangkok remains the No. 1 destination, with more than 22 million international overnight visitors.
Paris and London, in flipped positions this year, hold the No. 2 and 3 spots, respectively both hovering over 19 million. All top 10 cities saw more international overnight visitors in 2018 than the prior year, with the exception of London, which decreased nearly 4%. The forecast for 2019 indicates across-the-board growth, with Tokyo expecting the largest uptick in visitors.
When looking at the cities by dollar spent, Dubai tops the list with travelers spending $553 on average a day. Makkah, new to the top 10 last year, remains at No. 2 for the second consecutive year, with Bangkok rounding out the top three.