WORLD
Bangkok ranks first on MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index 2013
Baku, May 30 (AZERTAC). Bangkok has outpaced London as this year`s number one destination in the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index, stated a release. According to MasterCard, Bangkok will draw the highest international visitor numbers in 2013, ahead of London, Paris, Singapore, and New York. This is the first time that an Asian city is in the top rank ever since the Index was launched in 2010.
New Delhi has ranked as one of the top ten feeder cities for tourist arrivals to Bangkok. According to the Index, in 2013, Bangkok will attract over 400,000 overnight visitors from New Delhi, a 7.4 per cent increase over 2012. This increase in arrivals from New Delhi is also driving up cross-border spends; with overnight visitor spends projected to increase by 9.1 per cent in 2013 to a total of USD 378 million.
According to the Index, Mumbai has registered a rapid growth in the number of international visitors from 2009-2013. Ranked at 4th position Mumbai`s projected growth rate is 113 per cent. Chennai is the only other Indian city to feature in the Top 20 list with a projected growth rate of 56.1 per cent by the end of 2013.
The MasterCard Index of Global Destination Cities ranks cities in terms of the number of their total international visitor arrivals and the cross-border spending by these same visitors in the destination cities, and gives visitor and passenger growth forecasts for the year.