Asian cities: top destinations for visitors

Asian cities continue to dominate a global list of leading destinations in attracting international visitors arriving by air, according to the annual MasterCard Global Destinations Cities Index.

Besides, seven out of the world's top 10 fastest growing destination cities are in the Asia-Pacific, which is a strong leading indicator of their continuing outstanding performance in the years to come, MasterCard said in a report

yesterday.

Asian cities have made up half of the top 10, with Bangkok retaining its position at number two with 18.24 million international overnight visitors and catching up with the top-ranked London.

Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul and Hong Kong round off the top 10, taking seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth place respectively.

Driven by insights into travel patterns, the Global Destinations Cities Index provides a ranking of the 132 most visited cities from around the world.

More than just a travel tracker, the index provides an understanding of how people move around the world and the importance of the world's cities as homes, destinations and engines of growth.

London and Bangkok have topped the Index throughout its five-year history. The rivalry is set to continue as Bangkok's visitor numbers continue to recover following civil unrest in 2014. Forecast international overnight visitors to the top 10 cities: London (18.82m), Bangkok (18.24m), Paris (16.06m), Dubai (14.26m), Istanbul (12.56m), New York (12.27m), Singapore (11.88m), Kuala Lumpur (11.12m), Seoul (10.35m) and Hong Kong (8.66m).

In addition, seven of the top 10 fastest growing cities by visitor number over the last six years are in Asia. Sri Lanka's capital city, Colombo, leads the pack, followed by Chengdu, the provincial capital of China's Sichuan province. Forecast top 10 fastest growing cities: Colombo, Chengdu, Abu Dhabi, Osaka, Riyadh, Xi An, Taipei, Tokyo, Lima and Ho Chi Minh City.

“Tourism is becoming an increasingly important source of income and employment for many Asian countries. This reflects the growing appeal of Asia as it continues to develop, led by the fast emerging Asean economies, China and India,” said Matthew Driver, president of MasterCard for Southeast Asia.

“As countries compete for tourist receipts and seek to improve the visitor experience, it will be key for governments and tourist authorities to continue to invest in smarter city infrastructure while preserving and protecting the heritage - from monuments to cultural events - that makes their cities unique."

Dhaka is also included in the index which ranked 132 global cities, but the MasterCard report could not forecast the number of international visitors expected to travel to the capital city in 2015 because of a lack of official statistics.