Euromonitor International released its Top 100 City Destinations Ranking for 2017, highlighting the most-visited cities worldwide. The report emphasizes a clear shift toward Asia Pacific, largely driven by rising Chinese outbound travel.
“Asia Pacific is the standout region driving change in travel. We expect the region to continue growing in the coming decade, with Singapore overtaking London as the third most-visited city in the world by 2025, giving the podium fully to Asia,” said Wouter Geerts, senior travel analyst at Euromonitor International.
Although travel to many Asian cities is increasing, Europe has seen a relative decline in some markets. Factors such as the Brexit process, terrorist incidents and migration pressures have weighed on certain European destinations. At the same time, some countries in southern Europe — including Greece, Italy and Spain — have gained visitors as travelers redirected plans away from nearby unrest in parts of the Middle East and North Africa.
The Top 10 most-visited cities in the 2017 ranking are listed below, with visitor numbers indicating international arrivals to each city during the year:
- Hong Kong (26.6 million visitors)
- Bangkok (21.2 million visitors)
- London (19.2 million visitors)
- Singapore (16.6 million visitors)
- Macau (15.4 million visitors)
- Dubai (14.9 million visitors)
- Paris (14.4 million visitors)
- New York (12.7 million visitors)
- Shenzhen (12.6 million visitors)
- Kuala Lumpur (12.3 million visitors)
The ranking reflects broader tourism trends: growing intra-Asian travel networks, expanding low-cost and full-service air connectivity, and rising disposable incomes across the region. For city destinations in Europe and the Americas, resilience now depends on adapting to shifting traveler preferences, enhancing infrastructure, and addressing concerns over safety and political stability. Euromonitor’s forecast suggests that Asia’s influence on global city tourism will continue to strengthen over the next decade.