20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Cities across the world are expanding airports, constructing hotels and improving facilities all to attract tourist dollars. With tourism playing a major part of many economies, it's not a surprise that many destinations are going out of their way to woo visitors.
Let's take a look at 20 cities that attracted most international visitors in 2013.
Source: Mastercard Global Cities Index
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Photographs: Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Bangkok
Country: Thailand
International overnight visitors in 2013: 15.98 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 1
Bangkok has many attractions, ranging from royal palaces and temples to shopping and eating joints. The city is also well-known for its exciting nightlife, cultural scene and historical locations. Apart from foreign visitors, Thailand's capital also sees huge number of domestic travellers.
Its main airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, is the 14th busiest in the world.
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Image: A skytrain passes over vehicles in Bangkok.
Photographs: Kerek Wongsa/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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London
Country: The United Kingdom
International overnight visitors in 2013: 15.96 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 2
Some of the major attractions in London are Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and London Eye. It's also famous for its parks, such as St James's Park, Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath.
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Image: Thrill seekers ride a fairground attraction overlooking the London Eye, left, and Houses of Parliament, next to Thames, in London.
Photographs: Chris Helgren/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Paris
Country: France
International overnight visitors in 2013: 13.92 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 3
Paris, the city of romance, has some of the most loved attractions in the world, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Champs-Elysees and Notre Dame de Paris. To make commuting easy, the city has several forms of transport, such as buses, Metro and boats.
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Image: Tourists stroll on the Trocadero square, in front of the Eiffel Tower, during a rainy summer day in Paris.
Photographs: Christian Hartmann/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Singapore
Country: Singapore
International overnight visitors in 2013: 11.75 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 4
Singapore has many things going for itself, such as low crime rate, prevalence of English language and world-class infrastructure. The city-state gets more visitors annually than its population.
Some of the major attractions are Orchard Road district, Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World Sentosa and Singapore Zoo.
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Image: A cyclist rides past the skyline of the Central Business District in Singapore.
Photographs: Edgar Su/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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New York City
Country: The United States
International overnight visitors in 2013: 11.52 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 5
New York City, one of the world's most visited cities in the world, has several attractions for both domestic and international visitors. Some of the most well-known hotspots are Times Square, Fifth and Madison Avenues, Statue of Liberty and Broadway.
Some of the events that see huge numbers of tourists include Halloween Parade, Labor Day Carnival and New York Marathon.
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Image: A view from the observation deck of the Empire State Building of midtown Manhattan, Rockefeller Center and Central Park in New York.
Photographs: Brendan McDermid/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Istanbul
Country: Turkey
International overnight visitors in 2013: 10.37 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 6
Istanbul, one of the world's leading conference centres, has thousands of hotels and destinations attracting both business and leisure travellers. Its two main airports handle millions of passengers every year.
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Image: A view of Istanbul's financial district.
Photographs: Murad Sezer/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Dubai
Country: The United Arab Emirates
International overnight visitors in 2013: 9.89 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 7
Dubai, which is called the Shopping Destination of the Middle East, is famous for its malls, desert safari, parks and nightlife. It has some of the best hotels and also boasts the tallest building, Burj Khalifa, in the world.
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Image: Towers are seen next to a Dubai Metro station on Sheikh Zayed Road.
Photographs: Jumana El Heloueh/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Kuala Lumpur
Country: Malaysia
International overnight visitors in 2013: 9.20 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 8
Kuala Lumpur, which has more than 60 shopping malls, is a tourist magnate for its dining experience, cultural scene and nightlife. Some of the major attractions are Petaling Street, the National Palace, Petronas Twin Towers and Suria KLCC.
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Image: A view of Malaysia's landmark Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur.
Photographs: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Hong Kong
Country: Hong Kong
International overnight visitors in 2013: 8.72 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 9
Tourism is one of the most important economic activity in Hong Kong. The city has number of attractions, including Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Peninsula Hotel and Star Ferry Pier.
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Image: People walk on stairs featuring a five-metre-high reproduction of Vincent van Gogh's signature painting 'Sunflowers', at the entrance to Ocean Terminal in Hong Kong.
Photographs: Bobby Yip/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Barcelona
Country: Spain
International overnight visitors in 2013: 8.41 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 10
Barcelona, a city known for its moderate climate, has some of the best beaches in the world, excellent hotels, shopping areas and top-class infrastructure.
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Image: A view of Barcelona.
Photographs: Albert Gea/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Seoul
Country: South Korea
International overnight visitors in 2013: 8.19 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 11
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a city of shopping malls, cultural attractions and dynamic nightlife. Some of the best shopping areas are Dongdaemun Market, Namdaemun market, Insa-dong and Gangnam.
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Image: Part of Gangnam area is seen down the Han River in Seoul.
Photographs: Lee Jae-Won/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Milan
Country: Italy
International overnight visitors in 2013: 6.83 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 12
Milan has several tourist attractions, such as Duomo and Piazza, Teatro alla Scala, San Siro Stadium, and is known for entertainment, cultural scene and leisure opportunities.
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Image: A man carries a cage with a parrot inside it in Duomo Square in downtown Milan.
Photographs: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Rome
Country: Italy
International overnight visitors in 2013: 6.71 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 13
Rome, which has been one of the most popular tourist destination for long time, has some of the most visited sites in the world, including Vatican Museums, Colosseum, St Peter's Basilica and Trevi Fountain.
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Image: An aerial view of St Peter's Square in Rome.
Photographs: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Shanghai
Country: China
International overnight visitors in 2013: 6.50 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 14
Shanghai, one of the fastest growing cities in the world, is famous for its excellent infrastructure, exciting nightlife, cultural scenes and eating delights.
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Image: An aerial view shows vehicles travelling on intersections at night in downtown Shanghai.
Photographs: Aly Song/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Amsterdam
Country: The Netherlands
International overnight visitors in 2013: 6.35 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 15
Amsterdam is a city that has attractions ranging from museums to shopping districts to canals and red-light areas. Some of the famous destinations are the canals, Rijksmuseum museum, Albert Cuyp Market, Amsterdam Diamond Centre and De Wallen, a red-light district.
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Image: A view of Amsterdam.
Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Tokyo
Country: Japan
International overnight visitors in 2013: 5.80 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 16
Tokyo, which has two main airports, has several popular destinations, such as Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, Tokyo National Museum and Tsukiji Fish Market.
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Image: Japan's Mt Fuji, covered with snow, is seen through Shinjuku skyscrapers in Tokyo.
Photographs: Kimimasa Mayama/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Vienna
Country: Austria
International overnight visitors in 2013: 5.37 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 17
Vienna, which is once again seeing a surge in visitor numbers, has several world famous attractions, such as Schonbrunn Palace, Tiergarten Schonbrunn, the world's oldest zoo, and Vienna State Opera. The city offers both historical delights and dynamic nightlife.
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Image: Visitors watch a person sliding down a huge water pipe at a public swimming pool on a hot sunny day in Vienna.
Photographs: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Taipei
Country: Taiwan
International overnight visitors in 2013: 5.19 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 18
Taipei, the capital of Taiwan has number of destinations for both international and domestic travellers, including Taipei 101, Shilin Night Market, Beitou Hot Springs and Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market.
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Image: A view of Taipei 101.
Photographs: Pichi Chuang/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Riyadh
Country: Saudi Arabia
International overnight visitors in 2013: 5.05 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 19
Riyadh, one of the richest cities in the world, is the commercial and political capital of Saudi Arabia. Many multinational companies and banks are based in the city.
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Image: A view of Kingdom Tower in Riyadh.
Photographs: Ali Jarekji/Reuters
20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
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Los Angeles
Country: The United States
International overnight visitors in 2013: 4.84 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 20
Los Angeles, home of Hollywood, has some of the most famous attractions, such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Kodak Theatre, Griffith Observatory and the Getty Center. It also boasts some of the biggest companies in the globe.
Image: Skyline of downtown Los Angeles and the 101 Hollywood Freeway, a busy commuter route, is pictured from Mulholland Drive.
Photographs: Fred Prouser/Reuters
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