Bangkok named world’s most visited city

[waldroj]

Who am I to question NNT? But, try as I might, I just couldn't find anything to confirm this on Mastercard's web site - http://newsroom.mastercard.com/.

All I could discover was the 2015 result - http://newsroom.mastercard.com/press-releases/london-retains-crown-in-2015-mastercard-global-destinations-cities-index/ which placed BKK second to London, and ahead of Paris (which is still something for Thais to be proud of).

There is nothing on the Forbes site (that credits BKK as number 1 according to Mastercard) to support their assertion - http://www.forbes.com/pictures/ehlk45iehm/1-bangkok/#71021b54705a

[upena]

MasterCard and TAT are strategic partners. Need I say more?

[Gillyflower]

In 2013 there were 32.3 million tourists in Paris and 84.7 million in France. I suppose it has dropped because of the terrorist problems.

[canuckamuck]

I think they meant that Bangkok has some the world's most visited people.

[VincentRJ]

All I could discover was the 2015 result - http://newsroom.mastercard.com/press-releases/london-retains-crown-in-2015-mastercard-global-destinations-cities-index/ which placed BKK second to London, and ahead of Paris (which is still something for Thais to be proud of).

Read the site you linked to more carefully. Those are not actual results for 2015 but projections.

According to the study, London is projected to receive 18.82 million international visitors in 2015, just slightly ahead of second-ranked Bangkok.

You can find the actual results for Bangkok in 2015, in my post #25 on the first page, according to the following site. But that site doesn't include the results for London. I can't find any 2015 results for London.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/27/thailand-is-asia-pacifics-most-popular-tourist-destination-says-mastercard.html

[waldroj]

VincentRJ

I had seen your link before I posted. But, the heading of this topic is "BKK... world's most visited city" according to Mastercard.

That, is what we seem to be unable to confirm!

[JSixpack]

Forbes obviously neglected to vet the TAT press release.

Thank god we got TAT: TVF to set things straight with no need to resort to any o' them ol' numbers!

[Lingba]

new york?

[VincentRJ]

VincentRJ

I had seen your link before I posted. But, the heading of this topic is "BKK... world's most visited city" according to Mastercard.

That, is what we seem to be unable to confirm!

That's true, but the projections for 2015 in the site you linked, put Bangkok at a very close second. The site I linked to, placed Bangkok at the top of all cities in the Asia/Pacific region in 2015, and the actual figure they quoted for 2015 was much higher than the projected figure for London in your link.

Since the figure for 2015, for BKK, is significantly higher than previous years, and since the projections for 2016 are yet higher again, I think it's reasonable to conclude that Bangkok really is the most visited city in the world.

[White Christmas13]

Hello others say London is the most visited city.

So who is correct???

Bangkok is the most visited city in Asia not in the world

Paris is number one London number two

http://www.enjoyourholiday.com/2011/04/18/top-10-most-visited-cities-in-the-world/

[waldroj]

VincentRJ

I've spent most of the last ten years here, so I may be bias in agreeing with you. But, Lingba's observation of NYC can not be ruled out either.

It would be almost impossible to get accurate figures if the data is provided by the countries themselves though.

[VincentRJ]

Hello others say London is the most visited city.

So who is correct???

Bangkok is the most visited city in Asia not in the world

Paris is number one London number two

http://www.enjoyourholiday.com/2011/04/18/top-10-most-visited-cities-in-the-world/

Your linked article is dated April 18, 2011, about 5 years out of date.

[Assurancetourix]

Pretty sure Paris gets well over 22 million.......

Many more ;

" ...overall visitor numbers to Paris for 2015 were 45 million .."

from

http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Paris-Seeks-to-Recover-Visitor-Numbers-After-Attacks

And London 31.5 million international and UK tourists in 2015

from

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/may/20/london-record-visitor-numbers-2015-31-5-million

So Bangkok is in a mess with only 15.98 million international visitors .

[Moonmoon]

I visit Bangkok for the temples and elephants and river markets.. winks winks

[ozyjon]

As a regular word traveler since my teens i remember

Frankfurt being No 1, then some time later Singapore

now Bangkok ? OK who is next,, i have my money on

Guangzhou, you watch, and you know whyyyyy ?

[VincentRJ]

Pretty sure Paris gets well over 22 million.......

Many more ;

" ...overall visitor numbers to Paris for 2015 were 45 million .."

from

http://www.travelmarketreport.com/articles/Paris-Seeks-to-Recover-Visitor-Numbers-After-Attacks

And London 31.5 million international and UK tourists in 2015

from

http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/may/20/london-record-visitor-numbers-2015-31-5-million

So Bangkok is in a mess with only 15.98 million international visitors .

Your article doesn't define what 'overall visitor numbers' cover. Sound to me that it covers all visitors, including French visitors.

Your second link which mentions the figures for London, does state that it includes U.K. tourists.

As I mentioned in my post #25, from the link, the figure of 21.9 million visitor to Bangkok in 2015, refers only to international tourists who stayed one night or more.

[Assurancetourix]

As I mentioned in my post #25, from the link, the figure of 21.9 million visitor to Bangkok in 2015, refers only to international tourists who stayed one night or more.

You count all burma , khmers and lao workers in that number ?

The UK is the eighth largest international

tourism destination ranked by visitor numbers.

The first seven destinations are France, USA, Spain, China,

Italy, Turkey and Germany

The UK is the sixth largest international

tourism destination ranked by visitor

expenditure.

The first five destinations are USA, China, Spain, France,and Italy

http://www.tourismalliance.com/downloads/TA_390_415.pdf

Where is Thailand ( and Bangkok of course ) ?

[VincentRJ]

As I mentioned in my post #25, from the link, the figure of 21.9 million visitor to Bangkok in 2015, refers only to international tourists who stayed one night or more.

You count all burma , khmers and lao workers in that number ?

No way. How would that be possible? Wouldn't most of them arrive in Bangkok by bus or train?

The UK is the eighth largest international tourism destination ranked by visitor numbers. The first seven destinations are France, USA, Spain, China, Italy, Turkey and Germany

The UK is the sixth largest international tourism destination ranked by visitor expenditure. The first five destinations are USA, China, Spain, France,and Italy.

The issue is not which country receives the most international visitors, but which city. Bangkok has two international airports. The other two 'so-called' international airports in Thailand are at Chiang Mai and Phuket, but my impression is these two airports are international only in a limited way, serving just neighbouring countries. I've never been able to find a direct flight from Australia to Chiang Mai or to Phuket. I always have to stop over at Bangkok. I imagine that all visitors from the U.K., or China or the USA always have to visit Bangkok if they fly to Thailand, whereas I do not need to visit London if I want to travel to Manchester from Australia, for example. China has about 36 international airports.

According to my quotes in post #25, the expected number of international visitors to London in 2015 was 18.82 million, whereas the actual number of international visitors to Bangkok in 2015 was 21.9 million.

"London is again the world top-ranked destination city with 18.82 million international visitors expected in 2015, slightly ahead of the second-ranked Bangkok with 18.24 million."

To quote: "The international arrivals figures also include transit passengers, city residents returning from overseas trips,and passengers arriving from other domestic airports, which are excluded in the estimates of international overnight visitors."

To quote: "The Thai capital saw 21.9 million international overnight visitors in 2015, a 28.6 percent growth from the year before, said MasterCard."

However, it seems clear that such figures can never be precise, so we can never know for certain which city receives the most international visitors.

For example, if I were to cycle from Malaysia to Thailand I would be part of the statistics for international visitors to the country, as a result of customs records. However, if I continued to cycle all the way to Bangkok to stay with a friend, and used cash instead of a credit card, there would be no record of my visiting Bangkok and I would not be included in the statistics for the number of international visitors to Bangkok.

[kblaze]

Guys - the NNT f'd up. This story is from 2013.

[VincentRJ]

Guys - the NNT f'd up. This story is from 2013.

That may be so. However, it does seem that in 2011 or 2012 (can't remember), there were some statistics, right or wrong, that placed Bangkok as the most visited city in the world, by international tourists.

Since tourism to Bangkok has increased significantly since those years, it is plausible that in 2015, Bangkok is once again the most visited city, excluding domestic tourism and nationals returning from overseas.

I can't find any statistics to the contrary, which specifically address the number of international tourists to the city rather than the whole country.

[Nasrullah]

Hello others say London is the most visited city.

So who is correct???

Among regular tourists London is. Among Pedophiles, alcoholics, sexpats, criminals, drug dealers, murderers and life's scum in general Thailand I am sure is

I'm glad you've got a positive attitude gandalf old chap

[Nasrullah]

Really? The "Discover Thainess" campaign was the reason behind the increase in numbers? Nothing to do with cheap package tours, or the fact that Bangkok is a useful airline hub?

Or situated in the middle of the world.....has hot weather for the european winters or a cheap holiday for the growing number of peasants worldwide