Which city is the top travel destination in the world? Well, according to MasterCard’s new 2014 Global Destination Cities Index, more people visit London than any other city in the world.
London regained the top spot out of the 132 cities studied this year with an 8 percent growth in visitors, or an estimated over 18 million international visitors. Bangkok was number one last year, but slid 11 percent because of the country’s political unrest. The two cities have been battling for the top position since the study began four years ago.
Other top 20 cities this year were, in descending order, Paris, Singapore, Dubai, New York, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Seoul, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Milan, Rome, Taipei, Shanghai, Vienna, Riyadh, Tokyo and Lima.
In Europe, London was followed closely by Paris, which had nearly 16 million visitors. Istanbul was a strong number three, followed, in descending order, by Barcelona, Amsterdam, Milan, Rome, Vienna, Prague and Munich.
On the other side of the world, Singapore was just behind Bangkok with over 12 million annual visitors. Kuala Lumpur was number three. Rounding out the top 10 Asian cities were Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, Shanghai, Tokyo, Mumbai and Beijing.
Closer to home, Lima was the top destination in Latin America with over 5 million visitors. Mexico City was number two, followed by, in descending order, Sao Paulo, Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), Buenos Aires, San Jose (Costa Rica), Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, Montevideo and Quito.
I thought MasterCard also turned up an interesting bit of trivia that puts international air travel today in true perspective. What a difference a hundred years makes. The first commercial airline flight took off from Tampa, Florida and landed in St. Petersburg, Florida 20-minutes later, a grand total of 23 miles. The propeller-driven plane hit a top speed of just 60 miles an hour and the flight cost US$400, which, according to MasterCard, is the equivalent of about US$9,300 today!