UPDATE: View the most recent list here

Euromonitor International is pleased to release the Top City Destinations Ranking, covering 100 of the world’s leading cities in terms of international tourist arrivals. Continued economic growth helped these cities collectively experience a gain of 6.6% in 2012, outpacing the 4.2% growth of overall international arrivals. Within the top 10, six cities are located in Asia, demonstrating the importance of the region to international travel. Overall, 32 of the top 100 city destinations are in Asia Pacific, 12 more than in second-placed Western Europe.

The Rise of Chinese Tourists Impacts Top Cities

Hong Kong and Singapore maintained their first and second place spots in 2012. China was the fastest growing source market and helped them to retain their leading positions. Arrivals from China to Hong Kong grew by 11.1% in 2012 and accounted for a 63.5% share of all inbound visitors. Without taking Chinese arrivals into account, however, international arrivals to Hong Kong were flat. China is the third largest source market for Singapore although it accounts for only 9.6% of international arrivals. Instead, Singapore relies heavily on arrivals from Malaysia and Indonesia, which together account for slightly more than half of all arrivals.

Chinese tourists were also a boon to Thailand’s tourism industry, increasing by 62% in 2012 to become the largest source market for tourists. Chinese tourists visit Thailand for its temples, beaches and shopping. Additionally, the 2012 Chinese film “Lost in Thailand” inspired more tourists to flock to the country. As a result, Bangkok edged out London for third place in the rankings.

As a mature destination heavily dependent on mature source markets, such as the US and Europe, London’s 2.3% increase was a reasonable performance. Instead of being a boon for international tourism, the summer Olympics had a displacement effect, with 5% fewer international arrivals to the city in July 2012 compared to July 2011, according to the UK’s Office for National Statistics.

While the Chinese Venture Abroad, Fewer Travellers Visit China

In absolute terms, Shanghai, Beijing and Zhuhai were among the worst performing cities in 2012. A slowing economy, a stronger yuan and pollution fears all dissuaded travellers from visiting Asian countries, as well as Canadians and Russians from visiting China. In particular, tourists from Japan, the fifth largest source market, experienced a decline due to the weak yen and the ongoing dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. However, Guilin registered strong growth thanks to the efforts of its government to promote the city as an international destination at travel trade fairs held in Thailand, Russia and Malaysia, as well as the city’s burgeoning reputation for sightseeing.

A Rebound from the Arab Spring Begins

The Arab Spring caused visitor numbers to drop in cities throughout the Middle East in 2011 as civil unrest rocked the region and the ongoing violence in various countries continued to affect arrivals. However, a recovery was seen in 2012, with leading cities in Egypt such as Cairo and Sharm El Sheik seeing the return of visitors, although numbers failed to approach pre-revolution figures. Cairo, in particular, saw a rise of 7.7% in 2012 after a steep fall of 35% in 2011. The Tunisian cities of Djerba and Sousse welcomed 2.6 million and 1.9 million visitors in 2012, up 24.6% and 27%, respectively. After the relatively peaceful Jasmine Revolution in 2011, Tunisia has seen a renaissance in its tourism industry among mainly French visitors due to the countries’ historic ties. Djerba is a popular island for leisure tourists from France, Germany and Italy.

Future Growth will be Driven by Chinese and Russians Travellers

In 2012, the top five countries in terms of number of international departures were Germany, the US, the UK, China and Russia.  By 2017, China will lead with Germany in second place and Russia in third. Therefore, cities which appeal to Chinese and Russian travellers will experience stronger growth, especially those in neighbouring countries. China’s ban on shopping tours, effective from 1 October 2013, may cause a short-term dip to cities with a high share of such trips, such as Hong Kong and Seoul.

In particular, Thailand is well positioned to benefit from the strong growth of both Chinese and Russian travellers thanks to its proximity, shopping and attractions, although the current political unrest may undermine growth in the short term, more so for Bangkok than other destinations which can be reached directly. In the long term, nevertheless, Euromonitor International expects that Bangkok will cement its position as the third most visited city, while Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai will continue their ascent in the rankings.

Countries which relax or streamline visa processes, develop strong relationships with tour operators, implement targeted marketing and expand airlift will increase travellers from these countries, which will benefit their main city destinations. Many countries have embraced the move to better visa processes or exemptions to woo these visitors. For example, on 1 January 2014, South Korea allowed Russians to travel to the country for 60 days without a visa.

It is these actions that mature city destinations need to pursue. Paris has done well courting emerging market travellers, with 320,000 Russians and 204,000 Chinese visitors in 2012, up 7.5% and 16.1%, respectively, according to Parisinfo.com. For Russians, Italy, Germany and Spain are increasingly on their radar so it is imperative that cities there embrace these tourists.

Euromonitor International’s Top City Destinations Ranking

City Country Ranking  Arrivals 2012 (‘000) 2011/2012 % Growth Hong Kong Hong Kong 1   23,770.2 6.5 Singapore Singapore 2   21,345.7 7.7 Bangkok Thailand 3   15,822.6 14.6 London UK 4   15,461.0 2.3 Macau Macau 5   13,360.8 3.4 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 6   13,339.5 6.7 Shenzhen China 7   12,100.4 9.6 New York City USA 8   11,618.0 8.9 Antalya Turkey 9   10,296.6 -1.6 Paris France 10   9,780.8 3.3 Istanbul Turkey 11   8,820.1 16.5 Rome Italy 12   8,670.7 13.9 Dubai UAE 13   8,023.0 0.5 Guangzhou China 14   7,879.6 1.2 Phuket Thailand 15   7,217.0 14.7 Mecca Saudi Arabia 16   6,852.9 6.9 Pattaya Thailand 17   6,564.3 8.4 Taipei Taiwan 18   6,561.2 24.8 Prague Czech Republic 19   6,547.7 5.1 Shanghai China 20   6,539.7 -2.2 Las Vegas USA 21   6,298.0 5.9 Miami USA 22   5,987.0 4.5 Barcelona Spain 23   5,459.1 0.5 Moscow Russia 24   5,036.2 13.6 Beijing China 25   5,035.4 -3.2 Los Angeles USA 26   5,017.0 1.2 Budapest Hungary 27   4,821.6 12 Vienna Austria 28   4,328.7 8 Amsterdam Netherlands 29   4,289.2 2.1 Sofia Bulgaria 30   4,126.3 -0.4 Madrid Spain 31   4,111.3 -6 Orlando USA 32   4,067.0 7.4 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam 33   3,923.1 6.5 Lima Peru 34   3,792.5 29.1 Berlin Germany 35   3,789.2 5.2 Tokyo Japan 36   3,754.2 47.1 Warsaw Poland 37   3,660.3 14.3 Chennai India 38   3,535.2 11.4 Cairo Egypt 39   3,500.0 7.7 Nairobi Kenya 40   3,438.4 8.5 Hangzhou China 41   3,381.7 10.4 Milan Italy 42   3,323.7 -0.3 San Francisco USA 43   3,210.0 3.7 Buenos Aires Argentina 44   3,166.5 3.3 Venice Italy 45   3,164.9 0.9 Mexico City Mexico 46   3,127.3 9.8 Dublin Ireland 47   3,098.6 -2.1 Seoul South Korea 48   2,999.9 5 Muğla Turkey 49   2,981.4 -2.9 Mumbai India 50   2,977.0 26.7 Denpasar Indonesia 51   2,956.0 6 Delhi India 52   2,884.0 6.7 Toronto Canada 53   2,819.0 3 Zhuhai China 54   2,736.5 -14.7 St. Petersburg Russia 55   2,714.6 4.2 Burgas Bulgaria 56   2,690.0 22.9 Sydney Australia 57   2,678.0 2 Djerba Tunisia 58   2,638.4 24.6 Munich Germany 59   2,622.8 2.7 Johannesburg South Africa 60   2,620.2 12 Cancún Mexico 61   2,612.5 4.8 Edirne Turkey 62   2,536.3 -0.2 Suzhou China 63   2,530.1 8.8 Bucharest Romania 64   2,437.0 3.7 Punta Cana Dominican Republic 65   2,398.5 7 Agra India 66   2,353.7 12.9 Jaipur India 67   2,344.4 13.7 Brussels Belgium 68   2,294.1 -0.5 Nice France 69   2,242.9 5.1 Chiang Mai Thailand 70   2,218.7 20 Sharm el Sheikh Egypt 71   2,200.0 9.7 Lisbon Portugal 72   2,191.8 1.6 East Province Saudi Arabia 73   2,156.2 8 Marrakech Morocco 74   2,101.0 2.4 Jakarta Indonesia 75   2,098.1 5 Manama Bahrain 76   2,035.5 9.4 Hanoi Vietnam 77   2,007.9 10 Honolulu USA 78   2,004.0 5 Manila Philippines 79   2,000.4 15.6 Guilin China 80   1,970.6 19.9 Auckland New Zealand 81   1,965.4 -6.4 Siem Reap Cambodia 82   1,932.1 19.9 Sousse Tunisia 83   1,929.9 27 Amman Jordan 84   1,917.3 -0.1 Vancouver Canada 85   1,912.9 1 Abu Dhabi UAE 86   1,876.0 8.8 Kiev Ukraine 87   1,874.0 18.6 Doha Qatar 88   1,867.7 2.4 Florence Italy 89   1,834.0 0.9 Rio de Janeiro Brazil 90   1,796.7 6 Melbourne Australia 91   1,780.0 6.1 Washington DC USA 92   1,741.0 6.3 Riyadh Saudi Arabia 93   1,738.9 8 Christchurch New Zealand 94   1,732.5 -0.1 Frankfurt Germany 95   1,731.2 2.9 Baku Azerbaijan 96   1,709.1 7.5 São Paulo Brazil 97   1,690.0 2.4 Harare Zimbabwe 98   1,686.5 7.1 Kolkata India 99   1,637.4 14.4 Nanjing China 100   1,634.7 8.5
Source: Euromonitor International Note: Hong Kong and Macau are Special Administrative Regions of China

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Annual Research Programme

Euromonitor International’s Top City Destinations Ranking (2013 edition) was built from the results of the global travel research programme conducted in 57 core countries by in-country analysts, which follows Euromonitor International’s methodology and definitions for travel and tourism. The geographical coverage of the research was expanded in 2013. The following cities were added to the list as a result: Djerba (Tunisia), Manama (Bahrain), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Sousse (Tunisia), Amman (Jordan), Doha (Qatar) and Harare (Zimbabwe).

City arrivals data was sourced directly from national statistics offices, airport arrivals, hotel/accommodation stays or other methods.

The main secondary sources included governmental, inter-governmental and other official sources; national and international specialist trade press and trade associations; industry study groups and other semi-official sources; and reports published by major operators, travel retailers, online databases and the financial, business and mainstream press. Trade interviews were conducted with national tourist offices, trade associations and travel operators to fill gaps in secondary research.

Country data was then cross-checked on a regional basis by the regional research teams based in London, Vilnius, Chicago and Singapore. Examples of regional sources reviewed include TourMIS and European Cities Marketing for Europe. Further top-down checks were conducted by the in-house global research team. Where irregularities were found between editions, supplementary research was conducted to confirm or amend those findings. Euromonitor International is satisfied that the results of the in-country research, coupled with the top-down global perspective, ensure that the Top City Destinations Ranking is robust, with a high level of data validation.

It is important to note that the Top City Destinations Ranking is not an exhaustive list and that its purpose is to highlight leading cities gleaned from the findings of Euromonitor International’s annual research programme, with the emphasis on cities rather than popular holiday resorts.

Research Method

Data Research Method	City
Airport Arrivals	Agra, Amman, Amsterdam, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, Mumbai, Punta Cana, Taipei
Airport Arrivals and Hotel/Accommodation	Buenos Aires, Cairo, Sharm El Sheikh
Hotel/Accommodation	Berlin, Cancún, Florence, Lima, Marrakech, Mexico City, Milan, Paris, Prague, Rome, Venice, Vienna
National Statistics Office	Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Barcelona, Beijing, Brussels, Budapest, Chiang Mai, Denpasar, Dubai, Dublin, Edinburgh, East Province, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Jakarta, Las Vegas, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Macau, Madrid, Manila, Mecca, Miami, Munich, Nanjing, New York City, Nice, Orlando, Pattaya, Phuket, Rio De Janeiro, Riyadh, San Francisco, São Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Siem Reap, Singapore, Suzhou, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington DC, Zhuhai
Other methods	Antalya, Auckland, Baku, Bucharest, Burgas, Christchurch, Doha, Edirne, Istanbul, Harare, Djerba, Johannesburg, Kiev, Manama, Muğla, Nairobi, Sofia, Sousse, St Petersburg, Warsaw

Chinese arrival inclusions

Overnight visitors from mainland China are included in the Hong Kong arrivals data. Overnight visitors from mainland China and Hong Kong are included in the Macau arrivals data. Overnight visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are included in the Beijing arrivals data.

Footnotes

Country/City                                      Notes

All countries/cities                                 Excludes day trippers and domestic visitors

Singapore                                            Includes Malaysian citizens arriving by land

Saudi Arabia                                        Official data is for provinces only

 

Definitions

International arrivals by city includes visitors from abroad who arrive at the city under review as their first point of entry, and also includes those visitors to the city who arrived in the country via a different point of entry but then go on to visit the city in question during their trip.

Arrivals refers to international tourists, ie any person visiting another country for at least 24 hours, for a period not exceeding 12 months, and staying in collective or private accommodation. Each arrival is counted separately and includes people travelling more than once a year and people visiting several countries during one holiday. Domestic visitors are excluded. This encompasses all purposes of visit, such as business, leisure and visiting friends and relatives.

Euromonitor International’s arrivals figures exclude same-day visitors, transit and cruise passengers as this can distort arrival figures at important border crossings and cruise destinations, respectively. It also excludes those in paid employment abroad. Students that stay in a country for a period of more than 12 months are excluded and are considered temporary residents. Military personnel and transportation crew are excluded, along with displaced people because of war or natural disasters.

The ranking focuses on capital city hubs and tends to exclude beach and ski resorts that may enjoy high volumes of international visitors.

Useful reference

http://www.euromonitor.com/Travel_And_Tourism