New York City and Paris often vie for the title of the most visited city in the world, but a new study out from Euromonitor International, which looks exclusively at international visitors, offers a list that's different from most other "most visited city" lists.
Indeed, because a large portion of their visitors are domestic, New York City and Paris don’t even make the top eight. Meanwhile, China’s two special administrative regions, Macau and Hong Kong, score disproportionately high on the list because Euromonitor researchers consider Chinese as international visitors. Singapore, too, creeps into the list's upper portion since it’s a small city-state in a booming region.
The international market research organization compiles its annual list by looking at arrival data sourced directly from national statistics offices, airports and hotels in 57 core countries and 153 markets.
Other surprises on its latest survey include Antalya, which surpassed Istanbul as Turkey’s most visited city. Perhaps due to their proximity to Hong Kong and Macau, Shenzhen and Guangzhou welcome more international tourists than Shanghai or Beijing. And in the U.S., Miami and Las Vegas see more international arrivals than the nation’s second-largest city, Los Angeles.
Caroline Bremner, head of travel and tourism research at Euromonitor International, said Vietnam was one of the year’s biggest surprises, even though none of its cities cracked the top 30.
“While many cities maintained their previous rankings, Vietnam showed a particularly strong performance with Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi experiencing over 40 percent growth for the second consecutive year,” Bremner explained. “Although Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will continue to be top tourist attractions in Vietnam, future demand is likely to be driven by other Vietnamese cities, including Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc emerging as international tourists look to discover more new places.”
The rebound in global economic growth in 2011 contributed to stronger tourism demand, Bremner added, positively impacting the results for the top 100 cities, with arrivals up by 7 percent. Fewer visa restrictions and future growth driven by the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Latin America regions should make the 2012 numbers even higher when Euromonitor releases its 2012 study next year.
For a complete look at the world’s 20 most-visited cities, scroll through the slideshow above.
2011 International Arrivals: 8.9 million Growth: 8.9 percentReutersNo. 8 Barcelona, Spain REUTERSWhether or not Las Vegas is an affordable destination really depends on how much self-control you possess.creative commons/peterthepainterThe Colloseum is worth €91 billion ($114.259 billion).wikicommons2011 International Arrivals: 6 million Growth: 10.5 percentReutersPilgrims pray in the Grand Mosque during the Muslim month of Ramadan in the holy city of Mecca August 20, 2011. REUTERS/Hassan AliA view of the city skyline from the Shanghai Financial Center building.REUTERS/Carlos BarriaFrequently called the eighth wonder of the world of Dubai, the Palm Islands in United Arab Emirates are the world's largest artificial islands, each manmade into the shape of a palm tree.Flickr/Global SpookThe Eiffel tower, la Defence business district (background) and the Montparnasse tower (R) are seen in an aerial view in Paris July 14, 2011.REUTERS2011 International Arrivals: 21.8 million Growth: 8.8 percentReutersThe Bosphorus Bridge is illuminated in Istanbul Oct. 21, 2011. Istanbul is a classed as a megacity, those with a population of over 10 million people. Istanbul is rapidly becoming a major global policy nexus.Reuters2011 International Arrivals: 10.9 million Growth: 6.8 percentReuters2011 International Arrivals: 12.1 million Growth: 13.3 percentReutersSaphan Bhumibol at Dusk - BangkokReuters2011 International Arrivals: 12.9 million Growth: 8.4 percentReutersDivided in half by the South China Sea, Malaysia has its eye set on getting its own economic place under the sun. That being said, however, the country is in the top half of IBT1000. The county hosts 24 of the top 1,000 fastest growing companies, and boasts a growth rate that at 29.3 percent is just slightly below that of India’s. For several decades the country’s government has led efforts to guide the country to ever climbing production levels. Malaysia is seeking investments in finance, and biotechnology, and is uniquely located near one of the world’s largest shipping bottle necks. The country’s central bank has a well-developed regulatory system in place and the country has benefitted from its oil and natural gas exports. Much like the United States, however, its economy took a hit in recent years due to the global economic downturn and the ensuing drop in consumer demand for goods. Faced with a tight budget, Malaysia has had to curb its subsidies, as well as trying to curb its dependence on its domestic oil industry which constitutes 40 percent of the nation’s revenue.FlickrThe Tower of London is worth €70.552 billion ($88.585 billion).REUTERSLights of the skyline of the central business district and Marina Bay are reflected on the waters of Marina Barrage in Singapore at dusk, Dec. 1, 2011. Singapore’s presence in the top 10 highlights a shift away from Western Europe toward Asian hubs, EIU noted.
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