Two cities among top 20 most preferred cities in region by visitors, according to Mastercard.

With a total of 9 million overnight visitors, Hanoi ranked 15th and Ho Chi Minh City 18th, and saw an average daily spending of $78 and $98, respectively.

The index also highlights Asia-Pacific’s five most popular destinations for international travelers - Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Seoul - which welcomed over one-fifth, or 22 per cent, of all overnight visitors to the region’s top 161 cities and regional centers in 2018.

Primarily driven by explosive growth in outbound travel from mainland China, these five cities are also capturing more than one quarter, or 25.2 per cent, of total international travel spending in the region.

In 2018, Asia-Pacific hosted travelers making 342.2 million business and leisure trips, up from 159.1 million in 2009, representing an 8.9 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the nine-year period.

During the same period, travel spending in Asia-Pacific more than doubled, rising from $117.6 billion to $281.1 billion, equating to a CAGR of 10.2 per cent.

“While the world’s economic, geopolitical, technological, and societal landscapes have all changed dramatically since Mastercard launched this research ten years ago, one thing has remained constant: the desire of ever-growing numbers of people to explore the world beyond their own borders,” said Mr. Rupert Naylor, Senior Vice President, Data & Services, Asia Pacific, Mastercard.

“With the top 20 cities attracting nearly half (49.8 per cent) of all international overnight arrivals to the 161 destinations ranked in the APDI, it is important to understand not only how continuously rising travel numbers impact cities and destinations for the better, but also the challenges they pose.

This equips governments, merchants, and the global travel industry with the information and insights they need to better serve their residents and visitors.”

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