Market Research Company Euromonitor International released today a new ranking of the top 100 city destinations in terms of international tourist arrivals for 2013.
The top three cities on the list remained unchanged from 2012: Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok. These Asian mega-cities benefited from their locations in heavily populated areas, large economies and proximity to China.
While outbound travel from China is heavily influential for many of the cities listed, inbound tourism to China remains sluggish. China does remain the leading country for the number of cities featured in the top 100 with a total of eight. However, with the exceptions of Suzhou and Guilin, these cities experienced a decline in arrivals for 2013 due to an uncertain economic outlook, pollution concerns and tensions with Japan—a key source market.
Looking forward, city destinations may want to turn to the US market, the second largest source for outbound travel in 2013. The US has been a relatively mature market with outbound travel peaking in 2007, followed by yearly declines until recovery began in 2012. But a better economic environment, a stronger dollar and lower gas prices will likely boost outbound travel from the US.
“Cities in neighboring countries to the US such as Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean will most likely see growth in US travelers,” according to Euromonitor’s Head of Travel and Tourism, Caroline Bremner. “Western European cities will likely benefit too, thanks to strong cultural positioning and historical ties to the US.”
Top Five Cities Destination Rankings Listed Below:
1. Hong Kong, Hong Kong (25,587.3 arrivals)
2. Singapore, Singapore (22,455.4 arrivals)
3. Bangkok, Thailand (17,467.8 arrivals)
4. London, United Kingdom (16,784.1 arrivals)
5. Paris, France (15,200.0 arrivals)
To learn more about the top 100 city destination list visit: http://blog.euromonitor.com/2015/01/top-100-city-destinations-ranking.html
About Euromonitor International
Euromonitor International is the world’s leading provider for global business intelligence and strategic market analysis. We have more than 40 years of experience publishing international market reports, business reference books and online databases on consumer markets.
