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Millions of people are taking international trips each year — even after an increase in passport fees.
Mastercard analyzed 162 global cities to rank the top travel destinations and found that tourists are making their way to Bangkok more than any other city. The Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index ranked 162 cities based on visitor volume and spend for the 2017 calendar year, growth forecast for 2018, the average length of stay and amount spent per day.
With just more than 20 million international overnight visitors, MasterCard predicts Bangkok will remain in the top spot with 9.6% growth expected in 2018. The analysis also found that on average, visitors tend to stay in this Southeast Asian city for 4.7 nights and spend around $173 per day.
Following behind Bangkok comes London, Paris and Dubai. London trails not too far behind Bangkok, with 19.83 million visitors, and although people are staying 5.8 nights on average, most only spend $153 per day and the index predicts only a 3% growth in 2018. The report also indicated that Dubai remains in a top spot based off how much visitors are spending each day. In 2017, travelers in Dubai racked up $29.70 billion spent — averaging roughly $530 per day.
Top 10 Cities for Total International Visitors:
- Bangkok
- London
- Paris
- Dubai
- Singapore
- New York
- Kuala Lumpur
- Tokyo
- Istanbul
- Seoul
If traveling internationally was your 2018 New Year’s Resolution, but you haven’t had the time to do so, you have about just about 2.5 months to go overseas. You can reach your travel goals faster by signing up for a great travel rewards credit card and don’t shy away from economy tickets.
With some great bonus categories, the American Express Gold Card has a lot going for it. The card offers 4x points at US restaurants, at US supermarkets (up to $25,000; then 1x), and 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com. It is currently offering a welcome bonus of 35,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. restaurants. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X).
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- $100 Airline Fee Credit: up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees at one selected qualifying airline.
- Choose to carry a balance with interest on eligible charges of $100 or more.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
