Hong Kong sits firmly as the world’s most popular city for the eighth successive year, and the region alone accounting for 41 of the 100 cities ranked, according to UK-based market research company Euromonitor International’s “Top 100 City Destinations 2018” report.
With a near two million jump from 2017 – of which over 50% are from the Chinese mainland –tourist numbers into Hong Kong may be further boosted with 2018’s opening of the Zhuhai-Macau-Hong Kong bridge and Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail link.
Bangkok ranks second globally, the Thai capital accounting for just 1.5% of total national land area but generating over half of the country’s GDP in 2017. Her main Suvarnabhumi airport is also expanding, with authorities expecting passenger arrivals to hit 100 million yearly over the next decade.
Other Asian cities in the global top 10 are Singapore in fourth place; Macau, fifth; Kuala Lumpur, ninth; and Shenzhen, 10th. Phuket fell right outside at 11th place.
A noticeable absentee is Seoul, dropping eight spots to 24th globally in 2018, following the decline in Chinese visitors from political tensions.
Mumbai looks set to enter the Asian top 10 list this year, with the first phase of the new Navi Mumbai airport projected to be operational in 2019; while Osaka has been receiving a steady rise of Chinese visitors, and a potential beneficiary from Tokyo’s hosting of the Olympic Games in 2020.
Euromonitor International’s survey covers 600 international cities, the ranking based on 2017 international arrivals and partially estimated numbers from 2018. With 33 cities megacities already in existence – defined as cities with over 10 million inhabitants – a further six will join by 2030.
Read the full article at Travel Weekly Asia: http://www.travelweekly-asia.com/Travel-News/Travel-Trends/Hong-Kong-Bangkok-and-Singapore-take-top-three-spots-in-2018-visitor-arrivals?fbclid=IwAR1iCW38xsBoPvJqY0tBtDemyohKobjUXDV6IlZkabrbPvrMn9vFEcyJkIg