Beats Los Angeles to rank 18th globally – Taipei makes it onto the "World’s Best Travel Cities" list

Reported by Travel Hub / Taipei

Surprising entry in the global tourism rankings: Taipei has been listed in the “Global Best Travel Cities Report”! The city proudly secures the 18th spot among the world’s top 20 travel destinations and climbs into the top 10 in the Asia-Pacific region at number 8, standing shoulder to shoulder with other major global cities. Not only that, despite the global economic slowdown, international tourist spending in Taipei has risen against the trend, topping the Greater China region and highlighting the city’s growing tourism competitiveness as it establishes itself as one of the world’s key travel destinations.


▲ Taipei ranks among the world’s top 20 travel cities at number 18. (Photo / Provided by the organizer)

For the third consecutive year, MasterCard has released the “MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index,” ranking 132 global travel cities based on international visitor arrivals and spending, along with growth forecasts for 2013. According to the number of international visitors, Bangkok has been named the top global travel destination for 2013, surpassing London, Paris, Singapore, and New York.

Notably, out of the 132 cities in the report, 42 are located in Asian countries. The top 10 Asian cities are Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Tokyo, Taipei, Beijing, and Guangzhou — five of which are in the Greater China region. This highlights the global tourism shift towards the Asia-Pacific and the growing appeal of the Greater China area to international travelers.

The report also shows that Taipei has seen an upward trend both in international visitor arrivals (5.19 million, ranked 18th globally and 8th in Asia) and international tourist spending (USD 8.1 billion, ranked 12th globally and 6th in Asia), performing exceptionally well and maintaining a solid presence in the global tourism market.


▲ Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin (right) accepts the honor on behalf of Taipei for being ranked among the top 20 global travel cities in the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index. (Photo / Provided by the organizer)

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin stated, “International travelers now consider Taipei as one of their priority travel destinations, and its competitiveness and appeal in the tourism market have gained global recognition. In the future, Taipei will continue to develop its tourism service industry, nurture talent, and create a higher quality living environment to further enhance the city’s international competitiveness.”