Which city is the most popular international tourist destination? Surprisingly, it’s not Paris, London or New York.
According to 2012 data from Euromonitor International, the number one tourist destination in the world was Hong Kong with 23.7 million visitors.
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.
In 2020,
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
Singapore and Bangkok were ranked numbers 2 and 3 respectively, showing just how much Asian tourism has grown in recent years. London, at number 4, was the top ranked non-Asian city with 15.5 million international visitors and New York City, at number 8, was the most visited city in the Americas with 11.6 million tourists.
When looking at countries as a whole, the map at the top of the page is revealing. At first glance it shows just how few African countries made the list. Another interesting finding is that while London is the 4th most visited city, it’s the only UK city to make the list. Moreover, while many European countries have top 100 cities (Switzerland being a notable exception) none has more than Italy’s 4.
But that’s nothing compared to the big 3 who dominate the list:
- India has 6 cities on the list: Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Kolkata.
- The United States has 8: New York City, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Honolulu, Washington D.C.
- And, China has whopping 9 cities: Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou, Zhuhai, Suzhou, Guilin, Nanjing.
- Plus, this doesn’t include Hong Kong (#1) and Macau (#5), which ae both Special Administrative Regions of the People’s Republic of China.
| City | Country | Tourists (Millions) |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 23.7 |
| Singapore | Singapore | 21.3 |
| Bangkok | Thailand | 15.8 |
| London | UK | 15.5 |
| Macau | Macau | 13.4 |
| Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | 13.3 |
| Shenzhen | China | 12.1 |
| New York City | USA | 11.6 |
| Antalya | Turkey | 10.3 |
| Paris | France | 9.8 |
| Istanbul | Turkey | 8.8 |
| Rome | Italy | 8.7 |
| Dubai | UAE | 8 |
| Guangzhou | China | 7.9 |
| Phuket | Thailand | 7.2 |
| Mecca | Saudi Arabia | 6.9 |
| Pattaya | Thailand | 6.6 |
| Taipei City | Taiwan | 6.6 |
| Prague | Czech Republic | 6.5 |
| Shanghai | China | 6.5 |
| Las Vegas | USA | 6.3 |
| Miami | USA | 6 |
| Barcelona | Spain | 5.5 |
| Moscow | Russia | 5 |
| Beijing | China | 5 |
| Los Angeles | USA | 5 |
| Budapest | Hungary | 4.8 |
| Vienna | Austria | 4.3 |
| Amsterdam | Netherlands | 4.3 |
| Sofia | Bulgaria | 4.1 |
| Madrid | Spain | 4.1 |
| Orlando | USA | 4.1 |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 3.9 |
| Lima | Peru | 3.8 |
| Berlin | Germany | 3.8 |
| Tokyo | Japan | 3.7 |
| Warsaw | Poland | 3.7 |
| Chennai | India | 3.5 |
| Cairo | Egypt | 3.5 |
| Nairobi | Kenya | 3.4 |
| Hangzhou | China | 3.4 |
| Milan | Italy | 3.3 |
| San Francisco | USA | 3.2 |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 3.2 |
| Venice | Italy | 3.2 |
| Mexico City | Mexico | 3.1 |
| Dublin | Ireland | 3.1 |
| Seoul | South Korea | 3 |
| Mugla | Turkey | 3 |
| Mumbai | India | 3 |
| Denpasar | Indonesia | 3 |
| Delhi | India | 2.9 |
| Toronto | Canada | 2.8 |
| Zhuhai | China | 2.7 |
| St Petersburg | Russia | 2.7 |
| Burgas | Bulgaria | 2.7 |
| Sydney | Australia | 2.7 |
| Djerba | Tunisia | 2.6 |
| Munich | Germany | 2.6 |
| Johannesburg | South Africa | 2.6 |
| Cancun | Mexico | 2.6 |
| Edirne | Turkey | 2.6 |
| Suzhou | China | 2.5 |
| Bucharest | Romania | 2.4 |
| Punta Cana | Dominican Republic | 2.4 |
| Agra | India | 2.4 |
| Jaipur | India | 2.3 |
| Brussels | Belgium | 2.3 |
| Nice | France | 2.2 |
| Chiang Mai | Thailand | 2.2 |
| Sharm el-Sheikh | Egypt | 2.2 |
| Lisbon | Portugal | 2.2 |
| East Province | Saudi Arabia | 2.2 |
| Marrakech | Morocco | 2.1 |
| Jakarta | Indonesia | 2.1 |
| Manama | Bahrain | 2 |
| Hanoi | Vietnam | 2 |
| Honolulu | USA | 2 |
| Manila | Philippines | 2 |
| Guilin | China | 2 |
| Auckland | New Zealand | 2 |
| Siem Reap | Cambodia | 1.9 |
| Sousse | Tunisia | 1.9 |
| Amman | Jordan | 1.9 |
| Vancouver | Canada | 1.9 |
| Abu Dhabi | UAE | 1.9 |
| Kiev | Ukraine | 1.9 |
| Doha | Qatar | 1.9 |
| Florence | Italy | 1.8 |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 1.8 |
| Melbourne | Australia | 1.8 |
| Washington D.C. | USA | 1.7 |
| Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | 1.7 |
| Christchurch | New Zealand | 1.7 |
| Frankfurt | Germany | 1.7 |
| Baku | Azerbaijan | 1.7 |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 1.7 |
| Harare | Zimbabwe | 1.7 |
| Kolkata | India | 1.6 |
| Nanjing | China | 1.6 |
