TOP CITIES
Bangkok ranks 3rd in global top 20 destination cities
**Bangkok is on the list of global top 20 destination cities in terms of visitor arrivals and spending, according to MasterCard Worldwide survey.**
Yet, reflected through the growth rate in 2011 against 2010, the ranking is likely to slip soon.
In the visitor arrivals category, European cities dominate with 10 out of the 20, and with London and Paris in first and second position, respectively, attracting 20.1 million and 18.1 million, respectively.
Cities in Asia/Pacific come second, accounting for eight of the top 20. Bangkok occupies the third position with the number of 11.5 million visitors, testifying to its attraction as a popular tourist destination. Dubai, in the Middle East, is ranked ninth. Only one city in North America is in the top 20, New York, which is ranked twelfth.
The survey covered 132 destination cities.
Global top 20 destination cities by international visitors (2011)
- London 20.1m
- Paris 18.1m
- Bangkok 11.5m
- Singapore 11.4m
- Hong Kong 10.9m
- Madrid 10.1m
- Istanbul 9.4m
- Frankfurt 8.4m
- Dubai 7.9m
- Rome 7.9m
- Seoul 7.9m
- New York 7.6m
- Amsterdam 7.4m
- Kuala Lumpur 6.9m
- Milan 6.7m
- Barcelona 6.7m
- Vienna 6.2m
- Shanghai 5.5m
- Taipei 5.4m
- Tokyo 5.0m
Bangkok’s ranking seems at risk, though. Based on the annualised growth rate, Barcelona is outstanding with the 24.3 per cent rate, followed by Malaysia (21.8 per cent). Bangkok is not on the top 10 list with the highest growth rates.
Destination Cities Growth Rate
Barcelona 24.3%
Kuala Lumpur 21.8%
Istanbul 20.4%
Shanghai 18.6%
Hong Kong 17.4%
Dubai 17.3%
Taipei 16.9%
Singapore 14.5%
Tokyo 13.5%
New York 11.7%
“Instead, from the perspective of growth, six of the top 10 are in Asia, one in the Middle East and one in North America. This kind of growth pattern strongly suggests that destination cities in emerging markets in Asia will continue to grow in importance,” MasterCard said.
In the spending category, Bangkok ranked the fourth, with the spending of US$14.4 billion compared to $25.6 billion in London, $20.3 million in New York and $14.6 million in Paris. Compared to 2010, Bangkok’s visitor spending showed a growth rate of 18.6 per cent.
Global Top 20 destination cities by international visitor spending (2011) - London $25.6bn
- New York $20.3bn
- Paris $14.6bn
- Bangkok $14.4bn
- Frankfurt $14.0bn
- Sydney $13.8bn
- Los Angeles $12.5bn
- Madrid $11.8bn
- Singapore $10.8bn
- Hong Kong $10.4bn
Bron:The Nation
Published on June 30, 2011