Annual index by global market research company reported on the top global cities for tourism, sustainability, and economic performance.Paris retained the title of the world’s top city destination, with Dubai and Amsterdam making up the top three.“We’re partnering closely with cities around the world to ensure they have insights and technologies to improve how they attract and cater to tourists while preserving what makes them so special in the first place. The bar is rising for cities to innovate to provide both a memorable and authentic experience,” said Miguel Gamiño Jr., executive vice president, global cities for Mastercard. “International travel is crucial to many urban economies, enriching the lives of both residents and tourists. Of the most visited cities, Istanbul comes in with the lowest spend per day at just $108 on average. It is joined in the Top 10 with newcomers Makkah, Saudi Arabia, which debuts in the number two spot, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and Phuket, Thailand. Interestingly, visitors tend to stay in Bangkok 4.7 nights and spend $173 per day, on average.ĭubai continues to be the top ranking destination city based on overnight visitor spend, with visitors spending a whopping $537 per day on average. With roughly 20 million international overnight visitors, Bangkok remains in the top spot this year and is unlikely to be bested due to a strong projected growth of 9.6 percent for 2018. The forecast for 2018 indicates across-the-board growth, with Istanbul expecting the largest uptick in visitors. With the global economy buzzing, the annual growth of international overnight visitors to the Top 10 destination cities was up in 2017 except for Seoul, which saw a dip. Based on visitor volume and spend for the 2017 calendar year, the in-depth analysis also provides a growth forecast for 2018 and-for the first time-a view into average length of stay and amount spent per day. The Mastercard Index, which expanded this year to look at 162 global cities, is not simply a ranking of the top travel destinations. This year’s top cities are Bangkok, London and Paris, once again underscoring the importance of robust infrastructure, both business and leisure attractions and strong local culture.

For the past decade, Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index has offered important analysis of travel to and within cities.

Global destination cities index