Singapore is the top spot for international visitor spending in Asia Pacific.
According to the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index, Singapore, at US$14.3 billion, took over Bangkok for international visitor spend last year with growth of 7.6 per cent.
The city-state’s projected visitor arrivals expenditure per city resident stood at US$2600, beating out London’s US$2378 and second only to Dubai.
Asia Pacific nations hold five of the top 10 destinations worldwide in the Index.
Southeast Asian cities also show promising growth rates with Jakarta projected to see growth of 18.8 per cent, followed by Hanoi (15.1 per cent) and Manila (14.3 per cent).
Kuala Lumpur, despite a marginally lower projected growth rate of 13.1 per cent, makes it to Asia Pacific’s top 10 for international visitors by sheer arrival numbers. The Malaysian capital city boasts the second highest growth rate in the Global top 20.
“The prominence of the Southeast Asian cities on the index demonstrates the importance that trade and tourism plays in these economies, all of whom have clearly benefited from a deliberate and on-going investment in travel capacity and infrastructure.” said Matthew Driver, president, Southeast Asia, MasterCard.
