Bangkok becomes the world's top tourist destination

(Baonghean.vn) - According to the annual rankings of the multinational company Mastercard announced on September 22, the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, has surpassed London to take the number 1 position among the most popular tourist destinations in the world this year.

Thai dancers at the Erawan shrine in central Bangkok. Photo: Reuters.

Tourism is one of the rare bright spots for Thailand - Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, which has struggled with exports and consumer confidence since a 2014 coup sparked political turmoil.

Bangkok, also known as the "city of angels", topped the list of 132 cities voted in 2016, surpassing London, Paris and Dubai to become the most popular destination for international tourists.

Tuk-tuk is a popular means of transport in Thailand. Photo: Reuters

“This is not a new achievement. Bangkok has been consistently ranked as the top destination for a long time…Everything here is worth the money, especially for visitors from high-income countries,” said Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, an economist at Mastercard.

Thailand is expected to welcome a record 33 million visitors this year, thanks to a surge in Chinese arrivals; Bangkok alone is expected to welcome 21.47 million international visitors in 2016. London is second on the list after Bangkok with 19.88 million visitors, having topped the list in 2015.

Royal Palace of Thailand. Photo: Reuters

Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's Osaka also saw its strongest growth in international visitor numbers over the past seven years, particularly attracting tourists from neighbouring countries such as China and South Korea.

Phuong Thao

(According to Reuters)