Bangkok tops Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index for the fourth consecutive year
Top 10 cities by dollars spent in 2018 – Mastercard. Source: unsplash.com
Mastercard released its Global Destination Cities Index, which shows that since 2009, the number of international overnight visitors grew an astounding 76%.
This year, the Global Destination Cities Index — which ranks 200 cities based on a 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 ten 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.
| The Global Top 10 Destination Cities in 2018 | ||||
| 2018 International Overnight Visitors | Growth Forecast for 2019 | Average Length of Stay | Average Spend Per Day (USD) | |
| Bangkok | 22.78 million | 3.34% | 4.8 nights | $184 |
| Paris | 19.10 million | 2.24% | 2.5 nights | $296 |
| London | 19.09 million | 3.47% | 5.8 nights | $148 |
| Dubai | 15.93 million | 1.68% | 3.5 nights | $553 |
| Singapore | 14.67 million | 4.0% | 4.2 nights | $272 |
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 13.79 million | 9.87% | 5.7 nights | $142 |
| New York | 13.60 million | 2.94% | 7.9 nights | $152 |
| Istanbul | 13.40 million | 8.14% | 5.8 nights | $106 |
| Tokyo | 12.93 million | 10.02% | 5.4 nights | $196 |
| Antalya, Turkey | 12.41 million | 8.14% | 14.0 nights | $44 |
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.
| Top Cities by Dollars Spent in 2018 | |||
| 2018 International Overnight Visitor Spend (USD) | Forecast for 2019 | Average Spend by Day (USD) | |
| Dubai | $30.82 billion | 4.18% | $553 |
| Makkah, Saudi Arabia | $20.09 billion | 7.94% | $135 |
| Bangkok | $20.03 billion | 8.67% | $184 |
| Singapore | $16.56 billion | 2.66% | $272 |
| London | $16.47 billion | 4.64% | $148 |
| New York | $16.43 billion | 2.93% | $152 |
| Paris | $14.06 billion | -0.78% | $296 |
| Tokyo | $13.77 billion | 12.74% | $196 |
| Palma de Mallorca, Spain | $12.69 billion | 3.17% | $233 |
| Phuket, Thailand | $12.01 billion | 9.16% | $247 |
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