Bangkok, 10 September 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to share that the latest Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index has ranked Bangkok as the No. 1 destination for the fourth consecutive year, with more than 22 million international overnight visitors.
The Thai capital also placed at No. 3 in top cities by Dollars spent while Phuket has been ranked in the 10th place for the second consecutive year.
TAT Governor, Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, said: “Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index ranks 200 cities based on proprietary analysis of publicly available visitor volume and spending data. That Bangkok has been in the No. 1 spot for the fourth year in a row certainly helps strengthen the positive image of the Thai capital as the preferred destination for global travellers.”
Marking a decade of insights, the Index also listed Bangkok as being in the top 3 global cities since 2010, as well as being in the No. 1 spot six of the past seven years.
“Now, the four new MRT subway stations in Bangkok’s old quarter makes exploring the city’s landmark sites even easier. Bangkok’s culinary scene has also been strengthened over the years, especially with many restaurants and street food eateries making it into the Michelin Guide. These developments are just a few of the rich history and culture as well as variety of business and leisure experiences Bangkok has to offer,” Mr. Yuthasak added.
| The Global Top 10 Destination Cities in 2018 | ||||
| 2018 International Overnight Visitors | Growth Forecast for 2019 | Average Length of Stay | Average Spend Per Day (USD) | |
| Bangkok | 22.78 million | 3.34% | 4.8 nights | $184 |
| Paris | 19.10 million | 2.24% | 2.5 nights | $296 |
| London | 19.09 million | 3.47% | 5.8 nights | $148 |
| Dubai | 15.93 million | 1.68% | 3.5 nights | $553 |
| Singapore | 14.67 million | 4.0% | 4.2 nights | $272 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 13.79 million | 9.87% | 5.7 nights | $142 |
| New York | 13.60 million | 2.94% | 7.9 nights | $152 |
| Istanbul | 13.40 million | 8.14% | 5.8 nights | $106 |
| Tokyo | 12.93 million | 10.02% | 5.4 nights | $196 |
| Antalya | 12.41 million | 8.14% | 14.0 nights | $44 |
| Top Cities by Dollars Spent in 2018 | |||
| 2018 International Overnight Visitor Spend (USD) | Forecast for 2019 | Average Spend by Day (USD) | |
| Dubai | $30.82 billion | 4.18% | $553 |
| Makkah | $20.09 billion | 7.94% | $135 |
| Bangkok | $20.03 billion | 8.67% | $184 |
| Singapore | $16.56 billion | 2.66% | $272 |
| London | $16.47 billion | 4.64% | $148 |
| New York | $16.43 billion | 2.93% | $152 |
| Paris | $14.06 billion | -0.78% | $296 |
| Tokyo | $13.77 billion | 12.74% | $196 |
| Palma de Mallorca | $12.69 billion | 3.17% | $233 |
| Phuket | $12.01 billion | 9.16% | $247 |
The Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index ranks 200 cities based on third-party research and proprietary analysis in terms of the number of their total international overnight visitor arrivals and the cross-border spending by these same visitors in the destination cities in 2018, and gives visitor and expenditure growth forecasts.
The official press release of the latest Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index can be found here.
