Mastercard forecasts 2011 winnners

BANGKOK, 8 June 2011- Bangkok  should gain the first position in 10 Asia/Pacific cities, this year, based on estimated tourist arrivals by airlines and visitor expenditure, according to the latest MasterCard Worldwide Index of Global Destination Cities.

The report’s forecast that Bangkok should welcome 11.5 million airline visitors who will spend US$14.4 billion in 2011 followed by Singapore at 11.4 million arrivals spending US$10.8 billion and Hong Kong at 10.9 million visits with US$10.4 billion.

According to the card’s top 20 global destination rankings, Bangkok is in third place for popularity among air travellers and fourth in visitor spend after London with an estimated spend of US$25.6 billion and Paris at US$14.6 billion.

Top 10 destination cities in Asia/Pacific by tourist arrivals and expenditure estimated in 2011

For growth rate of visitor expenditures in the top 10 destination cities in Asia/Pacific, Bangkok gains 18.6% at around the same level as Seoul.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lampur shows the best growth rate at 31.0% followed by Shanghai (24.3%); Singapore (23.9%); Hong Kong (23.6%); Tokyo (20.8%); Taipei (20.3%); Melbourne (19.0%); and Sydney (12.1%).

Of all Asian visitors flying to Bangkok , Singapore is the top supplier with an estimated 869,000 arrivals generating US$786 million.

Hong Kong follows in second place with an estimated 822,000 visits and a spend of US$1,510 million. Tokyo comes in third place with 711,000 tourists and a spend of US$1,220 million.

Seoul follows in fourth place with estimated 503,000 travellers and a spend of  US$569 million.

The estimates are based on findings in a research programme by MasterCard Worldwide covering in 132 cities worldwide. Both tourists and business travellers are included in the MasterCard study however it excludes overland travellers.

The data were collected in 2009 and 2010 and the calculations leading to the estimates were made before March this year.