INTERNATIONAL. Asian cities dominate the list of most popular urban destinations for international tourists in 2012, compiled by Euromonitor International. Six cities in the region were in the top ten, while Hong Kong maintained its number one position.
Of the top 100 destinations, 32 were in the Asia Pacific region, 12 more than in Western Europe. Collectively, the top 100 destinations registered growth of +6.6% in 2012, outpacing the +4.2% growth in overall international arrivals.
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Click on the image above to view the full top 100 list |
Chinese tourists drive growth
Hong Kong’s growth was driven by an +11.1% increase in arrivals from China. Without taking into account visitors from China, international arrivals to Hong Kong were flat.
The biggest move within the top ten came with Bangkok taking third place from London. It too benefitted from an increase in Chinese tourist numbers, up +62%. China is now its largest source market for tourists.
For second-placed Singapore, China was the third largest source market, accounting for 9.6% of international arrivals. The city relied heavily on visitors from Malaysia and Indonesia, which together accounted for slightly more than half of all arrivals.
By contrast, major Chinese cities including Shanghai, Beijing and Zhuhai suffered falls in tourist numbers. Euromonitor attributed this to a slowing economy, a stronger Yuan and pollution fears. Tourist numbers from Japan, its fifth largest source market, were down due to the weak Yen and the dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.
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Hong Kong retained its position as the number one city destination |
Middle East rebounds
While the Arab Spring and its associated civil unrest and violence had dented tourist numbers in The Middle East in 2011, there were signs of a recovery in 2012. Sharm El Sheik and Cairo saw visitors returning, with the latter experiencing a +7.7% increase.
Numbers visiting the Tunisian cities of Djerba and Sousse were up +24.6% and +27%, respectively. The country has seen a renaissance in its tourism industry among mainly French visitors due to the countries’ historic ties, according to Euromonitor.
Chinese and Russians Travellers set to drive growth
In 2012, the top five countries in terms of number of international departures were Germany, USA, UK, China and Russia. By 2017, Euromonitor is forecasting that China will lead with Germany in second place and Russia in third. Cities which appeal to Chinese and Russian travellers will be big beneficiaries of the growth, the company predicts.
However in the short term China’s new group travel regulations, effective since October 2013, may cause a dip to cities with a high share of such trips, such as Hong Kong and Seoul.
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King Power International Group (Thailand) benefited from a +62% increase in Chinese visitors to Bangkok in 2012 |
“Thailand is well positioned to benefit from the strong growth of both Chinese and Russian travellers thanks to its proximity, shopping and attractions,” said Euromonitor. “[However] the current political unrest may undermine growth in the short term, more so for Bangkok than other destinations which can be reached directly.
“In the long term, nevertheless, Euromonitor International expects that Bangkok will cement its position as the third most visited city, while Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai will continue their ascent in the rankings.”
It added that countries which relax or streamline visa processes would see their main destination cities reap the benefits. It cited the example of South Korea, which has been allowing Russians into the country for up to 60 days without a visa since the beginning of the year.
