There are thousands of cities in the world; some are more popular than others, but only one is the most popular – the most visited city of all. Using data like overnight visitor arrivals and cross-border spending, Mastercard has ranked the top destination cities of 2016, along with the fastest growing cities, in its Global Destination Cities Index.
The top destination cities are no surprise, comprised of big beach, retail, and cultural hubs like Bangkok, which took the number one spot. The fastest growing cities show a bit more intrigue – Asia clocks in with seven fast-growing cities, three of which are located in China.
These destination cities draw visitors for a variety of reasons, but all of them share one trait: spectacular views. From towering buildings to lush nature, enjoy these images of the most traveled and fastest growing cities in the world.
All of the images in this article can be found in our Global Destinations collection.
Top 10 Visited Cities
Bangkok – 21.47 Million Visitors
London – 19.88 Million Visitors
Paris – 18.03 million Visitors
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Dubai – 15.27 million Visitors
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New York – 12.75 Million Visitors
Singapore – 12.11 Million Visitors
Kuala Lumpur – 12.02 million visitors
Istanbul – 11.95 Million Visitors
Tokyo – 11.70 Million Visitors
Seoul – 10.20 million visitors
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Top 10 Fastest Growing
Osaka 24.15 percent
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Chengdu – 20.14 percent
Abu Dhabi – 19.81 percent
Colombo – 19.57 percent
Tokyo – 18.48 percent
Riyadh – 16.45 percent
Taipei – 14.53 percent
Xi’an – 14.20 percent
Tehran – 12.98 percent
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Xiamen – 12.93 percent
