MOST VISITED CITIES IN THE

WORLD

FORBES 2014

whether it draws vistors for business or pleasure, London regained the top rank this year in the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index, with an 8% growth in visitors-

1. LONDON

political unrest seems to be hurting Thai tourism. Bangkok only slipped one rank since last year, but experienced an 11% decline in visitors. Shown here: the city's world-famous landmark,Wat Arun on the Chao Phraya River-

2. BANGKOK

3. PARIS

never mind that Paris has a slow growth rate in the number of visitors -- just 1.8%. It's still a favorite city of many travelers-

with a population of less than 5 million, Singapore expects 12.47 million visitors this year -- a 3.1% increase over last year. Although it is a melting pot of cultures, including Indian, Chinese and Malay, English is the dominant language, and Westerners do not tend to experience the culture shock there that occurs elsewhere in the region-

4. SINGAPORE

5. DUBAI

sometimes called the shopping capital of the Middle East, Dubai Shows strong growth, increasing their arrival numbers by 10.9% in 2013 and 7.5% in 2014-

in terms of overnight vistor spending, New York switched places with London in 2014. Visitors are expected to spend $18.57 billion in New York, versus $19.27 in London -- perhaps a function of the strength of the British pound right now. Shown here: the landmark Statue of Liberty against the New York City skyline-

6. NEW YORK

as a travel destination, Istanbul is a rising star, with sights like the Hagia Sophia mosque shown here. Last year's Mastercard survey project that If all top 10 destination cities maintain their current rates of growth in the next few years, then by 2016, Istanbul will surpass Singapore, New York and Paris in terms of international visitor arrivals-

7. ISTANBUL

a construction boom has altered the cityscape of the downtown area of Kuala Lumpur, capital city of Malaysia. It expects 10.81 million visitors in 2014, making it No. 3 of the top 10 Asia/Pacific destination cities (after Bangkok and Singapore)-

8. KUALA LUMPUR

its majestic harbor beckons, with 8.84 million visitors expected this year. It's also the third most expensive city in the world, according to another survey. If you're thinking of taking public transit into town from the airport (or even if you aren't)-

9. HONGKONG

visitor spending pumps money into Seoul's economy; visitors are expected to spend $11.5 billion there in 2014 – an increase of 6.3% over the previous year.

10. SEOUL

for the second consecutive year, Barcelona outranks Madrid in popularity with visitors. Barcelona's old world charm and Gaudi architecture will lure 7.37 million international travelers in 2014.

11. BARCELONA

with its scenic canals, meandering cobble stone streets and inventive architecture, Amsterdam can satisfy the most ravenous explorer or jaded traveler. It's also an important hub city for travel to other European destinations-

12. AMSTERDAM

with slightly more visitors than Rome, Milan ranks No. 13 on the list-

13. MILAN

it hasn't lost any of its charm, but Rome ranks behind Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai. Are economic forces at play? If you're thinking of buying an apartment there, check out our story

14. ROME

the capital of the Republic of China,

Taipei ranks No. 15 in both the

number of visitors and spending-

15. TAIPE

count Shanghai among the new and dynamic destination cities. Once a fishing and textiles town, it's now a major financial center, the showpiece of Asian economic development and is expected to get 6.09 million international visitors this year-

16. SHANGHAI

with a rank of No. 17 in the top 20 worldwide, Vienna is also one of

Europe's top 10 destination cities. It expects 6.05 million visitors this year

-- a 6.8% increase over last year-

17. VIENNA

the Saudi Arabian capital expects 5.59 million visitors this year. Shown here: An evening view of the city-

18. RIYADH

the shrinking value of the yen is good news for international travelers to Japan. Tokyo, which is a major transportation hub, expects 5.38 million visitors in 2014. Shown here: Shinjuku, a major commercial and administrative center, at night-

19. TOKYO

lima is not itself a spectacular place for sightseeing. (The Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Armas, shown here, is a highlight.) But it’s the international gateway for visitors to Machu Picchu, the 15th century “Lost City of the Incas-20. LIMA

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