(CNN) — Bright lights, big cities. The lure of urban centers has lost none of its appeal in 2018, with tourists expected to make around 1.4 billion trips to cities around the world this year. UK-based market research company Euromonitor International has just released its Top 100 City Destinations 2018 report, an annual ranking of the world's most popular cities by international tourism arrivals. Once again, Hong Kong has come out on top. Close to 30 million tourists are expected to travel to the region before the year is out -- and more than 50% of them will be from the Chinese mainland. Travel is on the rise Global air traffic has been rising steadily for years and 2018 is no exception. Euromonitor International's research covers 600 cities and, they say, global inbound arrivals are expected to grow by 5% this year. Asia continues to be the biggest player in the rankings, with 41 of the top 100 cities being on the continent. Bangkok holds onto its place … [Read more...] about Most visited: World’s top cities for tourism
Paris most visited city
World’s most attractive cities announced: These are the most stunning spots in the top 7
London, New York, Tokyo and Paris have managed to hold on to their top positions as the world’s most attractive cities for the second year running.This comes as part of the Global Power City Index, published by The Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies.Sure, this study focuses on a city’s magnetism in general – the power it has to attract people from all over the world to live there. However, we’re more interested in the prettiness of these places for visitors – so here are some of the most gorgeous spots you can visit in the top seven cities. >‘Imposing’ barely describes the neoclassical building that is the British Museum. Nestled in the heart of Bloomsbury in London, it’s inspired by ancient Greek architecture and boasts an impressive 44 Ionic columns. >It’s not only the elaborate facade of the building that will blow you away, but the interior as well – take The Great Court – a covered … [Read more...] about World’s most attractive cities announced: These are the most stunning spots in the top 7
London was the second most-visited city in the WORLD last year – second only to Bangkok
LONDON has been named as the second most-visited city in the world – coming only after Bankgkok. Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index looked at the number of overnight visitors to 162 cities around the world in 2017 and revealed a top ten. The research also looked at how much money travellers spend on average per day in the city. While Bangkok sees 20.05million visitors per year, London is very close behind with 19.8million tourists paying a visit per year. The average spend per day in London is £116 – which is surprisingly less than is spent per day in Bangkok, at £131 per day. London also has many free things that tourists can do if they want to cut down on their bills. There are also beautiful views and greenery at parks like Greenwich and Primrose Hill. Many of the capital's museums are also free, such as the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the V&A and the Science Museum. Paris comes in third place, with spending there per person … [Read more...] about London was the second most-visited city in the WORLD last year – second only to Bangkok
Escaping overtourism: Unlikely wilderness close to Europe’s most crowded cities
The issue of ‘overtourism’ has never been more acute. Venice, Barcelona, Mallorca and Dubrovnik have all seen protests against foreign visitors in recent months, and now the problem appears to be spreading to Amsterdam, with the Dutch city announcing a raft of measure to tackle ‘Disneyfication’. But escaping the crowds, and so helping to relieve the pressure from Europe’s city centres, isn’t hard. Here we outline the closest national park to the continent’s most oversubscribed corners. Escape London The UK’s newest national park, the South Downs, earned its status in 2010, and is easy to reach from London. Board a train at the hellishly busy hub of London Victoria and in 59 minutes you’ll arrive at Plumpton. From there it’s a short walk to the Jolly Sportsman pub in East Chiltington, start and finish line for a cracking 5.5-mile walk around one of the prettiest corners of the South Downs. “This walk is a … [Read more...] about Escaping overtourism: Unlikely wilderness close to Europe’s most crowded cities
Moscow gets into Europe’s top 5 most attractive cities for investors
The Russian capital has climbed above Helsinki, Warsaw, Berlin and Stockholm to rank fifth among Europe’s most attractive cities for foreign investment. The 2018/2019 ranking was compiled by Foreign Direct Investment Intelligence (a division of the Financial Times). It assessed 301 European cities and 150 regions. London has maintained its leading position in the rating, but experts said that could soon change because of Brexit. Dublin has taken second place, and was followed by Paris, Amsterdam and Munich. The top 10 business-friendly cities also included Frankfurt, Zurich, Cambridge and Helsinki. “Russia’s capital has improved its performance in the prestigious rating of attractive cities for investment in Europe. This year Moscow is among top five most interesting cities of the continent for making investments, and it has taken the first spot in the rating of Eastern European cities,” said the head of Moscow’s Department for Economic Policy and … [Read more...] about Moscow gets into Europe’s top 5 most attractive cities for investors