Singapore among top 10 travel spots this year: Study

Singapore ranks seventh on a list of top global tourist destinations this year, according to the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index released today.

The annual index ranks cities in terms of the number of their total international overnight visitor arrivals and the cross-border spending by these same visitors in the cities, and gives visitor growth forecasts for the year.

Singapore is expected to receive 11.88 million visitors this year, up from last year's actual figure of 11.53 million.

The Republic is the second most popular Asian destination, with Bangkok staying at the No.2 spot on the list for the second year. The Thai capital is estimated to draw 18.24 million visitors.

It was overtaken by London in 2013, which tops the list once again with a projection of 18.82 million visitors.

Other Asian cities that made it to the top 10 are Kuala Lumpur, with an expected 11.12 million visitors; Seoul, with an expected 10.35 million visitors; and Hong Kong, with an expected 8.66 million visitors.

Top 10 cities in the 2015 MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index

1. London

2. Bangkok

3. Paris

4. Dubai

5. Istanbul

6. New York

7. Singapore

8. Kuala Lumpur

9. Seoul

10. Hong Kong

huizhen@sph.com.sg