Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: Visitors ride the 'Battlestar Galactica' duelling roller coaster at the Universal Studios theme park in Singapore.
Photographs: Vivek Prakash/Reuters

Despite the persistent weakness of constrained demand in the global economy, international travel is growing strongly, according to MasterCard's Global Destination Cities Index.

Let's take a look at 20 cities, including two from India, that saw biggest growth in international visitor arrivals from 2009 to 2013.

Source: MasterCard's Global Destination Cities Index

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Tags: MasterCard , India

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: Visitors cross part of a 260-metre Anian cable bridge, one of five major bridges in ancient China, over Minjiang River at Dujiangyan, 50km north of Chengdu.
Photographs: Bobby Yip/Reuters

Chengdu

Country: China

Growth rank (2009-2013): 1

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 285.0 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 60

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Tags: China Growth , Chengdu

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: Kingdom Tower in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia.
Photographs: Ali Jarekji/Reuters

Riyadh

Country: Saudi Arabia

Growth rank (2009-2013): 2

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 219.4 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 19

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Tags: Saudi Arabia , Riyadh

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: Tourists leave after visiting Independence Square in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Photographs: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters

Colombo

Country: Sri Lanka

Growth rank (2009-2013): 3

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 122.9 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 76

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Tags: Colombo

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: A view of Bandra-Worli sea link bridge in Mumbai.
Photographs: John Goh/Reuters

Mumbai

Country: India

Growth rank (2009-2013): 4

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 113.3 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 29

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Tags: India , Mumbai

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: A customer walks into a restaurant shaped like an aeroplane in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. The theme restaurant called 'shooting into the sky' serves Western food as well as hot pot.
Photographs: Sean Yong/Reuters

Nanjing

Country: China

Growth rank (2009-2013): 5

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 97.1 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 56

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Tags: China Growth

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: A view of Abu Dhabi skyline in the United Arab Emirates.
Photographs: Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters

Abu Dhabi

Country: The United Arab Emirates

Growth rank (2009-2013): 6

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 96.8 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 61

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Tags: United Arab Emirates Growth , Abu Dhabi

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: Statue street performers pose as cleaning workers at Fatahilah museum park in Jakarta's old city in Indonesia.
Photographs: Beawiharta/Reuters

Jakarta

Country: Indonesia

Growth rank (2009-2013): 7

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 94.1 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 77

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Tags: Indonesia Growth , Jakarta Country

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: Taipei 101 building in Taiwan.
Photographs: Pichi Chuang/Reuters

Taipei

Country: Taiwan

Growth rank (2009-2013): 8

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 82.7 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 18

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Tags: Taiwan , Taipei

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: An aerial view of Peru's capital Lima.
Photographs: Mariana Bazo/Reuters

Lima

Country: Peru

Growth rank (2009-2013): 9

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 79.7 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 57

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Tags: Peru Growth , Lima

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: Tourists ride on a 'Kalesa', a horse drawn carriage, in Manila's historic Intramuros also known as 'Walled city' in the Philippines.
Photographs: Erik de Castro/Reuters

Manila

Country: The Philippines

Growth rank (2009-2013): 10

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 72.9 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 53

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Tags: Manila

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: The 610-metre high Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower, left, in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
Photographs: Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Guangzhou

Country: China

Growth rank (2009-2013): 11

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 70.6 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 22

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Tags: China Growth , Guangzhou

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: A skytrain in Bangkok, Thailand.
Photographs: Kerek Wongsa/Reuters

Bangkok

Country: Thailand

Growth rank (2009-2013): 12

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 65.2 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 1

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Tags: Bangkok

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: An aerial view of high rise buildings at the financial district in Singapore.
Photographs: David Loh/Reuters

Singapore

Country: Singapore

Growth rank (2009-2013): 13

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 63.5 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 4

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Tags: Singapore Growth , Singapore Country

Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Image: A tourist rides a cable car above old buildings, which date back to the 1920s and 1930s, in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen.
Photographs: Ben Blanchard/Reuters

Xiamen

Country: China

Growth rank (2009-2013): 14

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 63.0 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 67

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Tags: China Growth