Dubai saw the biggest city spend by international tourists last year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
International travellers spent $29.4bn in Dubai last year says the WTTC.
As tourism looks to pick up post-pandemic tourism businesses and travel hotspots are seeing a return to higher incomes.
Dubai tourist spend
Doha placed second on the list, largely down to a strong performance at the FIFA 2022 World Cup.
1. Dubai – $29.42bn
2. Doha – $16.79bn
3. London – $16.07bn
4. Macau – $15.58bn
5. Amsterdam – $13.59bn
6. Istanbul – $13.13bn
7. Barcelona – $12.73bn
8. New York – $12.45bn
9. Singapore – $10.97bn
10. Paris – $9.76 bn
Dubai will retain its strong position over the next 10 years, says the WTTC.
The biggest change will be the emergence of Asian destinations.
Julia Simpson, WTTC CEO, said: “Major cities such as London, Paris and New York will remain global powerhouses, but over the next few years Beijing, Shanghai, and Macau will be moving up the list of top city destinations.
“Tourists will always have favourite cities that they will return to, but as other countries prioritise travel and tourism, we are going to see new and emerging destinations challenging the traditional favourites.”
In 2032, WTTC predicts the top five cities with biggest international traveller spend will change to be:
1. Hong Kong – $52.06bn (up 38 places from 2022)
2. Macau – $43.14bn (up two places from 2022)
3. Dubai – $42.98bn (down two places from 2022)
4. Singapore – $37.43bn (up five places from 2022)
5. Bangkok – $33.45bn (up seven places from 2022)
6. Doha – $31.63bn (down four places from 2022)
7. Tokyo $25.44bn (up 30 places from 2022)
8. New York $21.73bn (no change from 2022)
9. Amsterdam $21.53BN (down four places from 2022)
10. Shanghai – $21.3BN (up 11 places from 2022)
Follow us on
