Bangkok was the world’s most-visited city in 2018 for the fourth consecutive year, ahead of Paris and London, according to a ranking compiled by Mastercard Inc.
Thailand’s capital hosted more than 22 million international overnight travelers, Mastercard’s latest Global Destination Cities Index shows. Paris and London followed in second and third with just over 19 million each.
London was the only one of the top 10 cities in the ranking to see a fall in international overnight visitors, registering a decline of almost 4%. Tokyo is forecast to have the largest growth in arrivals this year, an increase of 10% to more than 14 million.
Thailand’s tourism industry on some measures accounts for about a fifth of the nation’s gross domestic product. A boom in the sector fizzled this year as the Thai currency strengthened and the global economy slowed.
Source: bloomberg