Bangkok edges out London as world's top travel destination

[webfact]

MASTERCARD'S SURVEY

Bangkok edges out London as world's top travel destination

 

BANGKOK - The Thai capital of Bangkok has beaten London to be crowned the world's most popular travel destination this year, according to an annual ranking by global payments and technology company Mastercard released on Thursday.

 

Tourism has been one of the rare bright spots for Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, which has grappled with weak consumer confidence and exports after a 2014 coup the military said was aimed at ending months of political unrest.

Last month’s wave of bomb blasts in southern Thailand, which police have blamed on Muslim separatists, appears to have had a limited impact on tourism.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Bangkok-edges-out-London-as-worlds-top-travel-dest-30295923.html

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-09-22

[OMGImInPattaya]

Well I guess this kinda puts the kabosh on all the negative nabobs who are constantly predicting a crash for the Thai economy from a fall in tourism numbers due to whatever negative item is in the news that day.  

[chrisinth]

^^^^^ Yep, seems to be right.

 

Of course, it all depend on how much confidence you put into polls and surveys...............................

[vadid]

This survey is always such a load of nonsense, having lived in both cities,there is no way Bangkok gets more tourists than London. Perhaps this Mastercard survey should eliminate all the visa run people. In the UK a tourist visa entitles you to a six month stay. My first year here I was on a two entry tourist visa so had to go out and come back, every two/three months no doubt I was counted three times that year. Also London gets a lot o visa free  tourists from Europe who do not show up in the stats.

[Wilsonandson]

 

A safer city to visit than London?

[worgeordie]

Was the survey commissioned by T.A.T ?

regards worgeordie

[robertthebruce]

 

 

Been to London about four times over the last three months and in all occasions London was jam packed with tourists around all the usual tourist spots.

 

so I find that hard to believe.

 

 

[jaltsc]

"The Thai capital of Bangkok has beaten London to be crowned the world's most popular travel destination this year ..."

 

Must be because: Whereas London only has Christmas one day a year, Bangkok has it 365 days a year. One can always hear Santa shouting "Ho, Ho, Ho"  24/7 throughout the city.

[soalbundy]

You wouldn't go to London on a tight budget.

[Alwyn]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

after a 2014 coup the military said was aimed at ending months of political unrest.

The unrest caused by the military via it's little attack dog Suthep?

[Krataiboy]

Yep, and Butlins always pulled in more punters than Champneys.

[jethro69]

Hmm, hard to believe. London became much more cheaper after they anounced the Brexit, let it be alone a 15% drop of the £.

Returned to Bkk a few days ago and prices were up again since I left two months ago.

[tukkytuktuk]

Why do so many tourists flock to Bang kok?
Do they long for Patpong?
Are they a frequent flier to Pattaya?
This must be why London's a no show because tourists prefer a go-go.
Thank you. Tukky

[Bluespunk]

10 hours ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

Well I guess this kinda puts the kabosh on all the negative nabobs who are constantly predicting a crash for the Thai economy from a fall in tourism numbers due to whatever negative item is in the news that day.  

Whereas whatever positive item is in the news that day means everything is hunky dory, eh...

[wotsdermatter]

Now you know why the Thai government started the scheme of allowing Chinese tourists in without visas.  Planes arriving from Chinese departure locations are full but they do not always stay in BKK but move along.  They do get counted as "visiting" BKK because that is where many enter the country.

[nausea]

Bangkok has absolutely zero attractions for tourists, apart from it's cheap, cheerful, and a gateway to Asia. London has many, and it's a gateway to Europe 

(or used to be).

[OMGImInPattaya]

7 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Whereas whatever positive item is in the news that day means everything is hunky dory, eh...

I didn't say that...you did.

[OMGImInPattaya]

18 hours ago, vadid said:

This survey is always such a load of nonsense, having lived in both cities,there is no way Bangkok gets more tourists than London. Perhaps this Mastercard survey should eliminate all the visa run people. In the UK a tourist visa entitles you to a six month stay. My first year here I was on a two entry tourist visa so had to go out and come back, every two/three months no doubt I was counted three times that year. Also London gets a lot o visa free  tourists from Europe who do not show up in the stats.

So does Thailand.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

I didn't say that...you did.

The tone and wording of your post means you did. 

Edited September 23, 2016 by Bluespunk

[webfact]

Bangkok aims to attract 30 million foreign visitors this year, to maintain the world’s ultimate destination

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok aims to attract even higher number of foreign tourists to visit, or as much as 30 million this year, the deputy governor of Bangkok said.

 

Efforts are being underway to promote tourism activities by all district officials to make the capital impressive and attractive, said Ms Pusadee Tamthai, deputy governor of Bangkok, pledged while co-chairing the ceremony to receive award from MasterCard top executives for winning the world’s Number One city that international tourists most visited for 2016.

 

According to Global Destination Cities Survey conducted by MasterCard, Bangkok ranks the world’s Number One city out of 132 countries.

 

The award was presented at a ceremony to hand out a special prize for designated ‘Ultimate Global Destinations’.

 

She said that projections are that for this year alone, the city of Bangkok will be paying host to as much as 30 million foreign visitors.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/bangkok-aims-attract-30-million-foreign-visitors-year-maintain-worlds-ultimate-destination/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-09-23

[Honthy]

Great plan, and how much will be really spend for promoting tourist industry or make Bangkok and Thailand to more popular? Maybe improving the level of English,  further improving the public safety, introducing some English charts at the most popular tourist places  or what.... 55555

[Deez]

TAT staff party

[Alwyn]

14 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Suthep and PT were equally responsible for the chaos that led to the coup. 

No, they were not. Which one was voted in legally by the electorate, and which one wasn't?

[williamgeorgeallen]

bangkok, i dont get it. what is the attraction? am i missing something?

[Bluespunk]

14 minutes ago, Alwyn said:

No, they were not. Which one was voted in legally by the electorate, and which one wasn't?

Nothing to do with votes. The chaos was caused by the actions of both. PT's lords and ladies of misrule were as responsible as suthep's lunacy. 

[eliotness]

Surely most people book their holidays a few months in advance, so it should be easy to get the info from tour operators and airlines.  So where do these millions of extra people who book their holidays the very last minute come from ?

[Sooo Upto Me]

1 hour ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

bangkok, i dont get it. what is the attraction? am i missing something?

 

Yes the traffic ?

[sanukjim]

The survey is wrong,Thailand is not the number one tourist destination in the world. France is with 79.5 million yearly with the USA 62.7 million,China 57.6,.The UK is is #7 with 29.2,Thailand is # 14 with 19.1.The Thai over estimate of numbers spreads to the airport also about the number of flight operations by at least 25%.

[gandalf12]

Very nice but the airport isn't sized to handle that many people

[trainman34014]

Thailand....Hub of self backslapping, flag waving bullshitters.