Bangkok continues to be the world's most visited city in 2025

The latest report from Euromonitor International shows that Bangkok leads the world in international arrivals, surpassing London and Hong Kong despite a slight decline from the previous year.

Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, will continue to be the world's most visited city by 2025, with an expected arrival of more than 30.3 million, according to an annual report by Euromonitor International, a UK-based market research firm.

Bangkok's bustling streets at night. Photo: Hotels

Top Cities Ranking

According to experts, the open policy towards tourism is one of the main factors helping Bangkok maintain its appeal. Despite holding the top position, the number of international visitors to this city still recorded a decrease of nearly 7% compared to the figure of 32.4 million in 2024.

In the ranking, Hong Kong ranked second with 23.2 million visitors, followed by London with 22.7 million. Macao ranked fourth with 20.4 million international visitors.

Paris leads in overall attractiveness

However, when looking at another criterion called "the world's most attractive city" based on six pillars ( economic performance, business tourism, infrastructure, policy, safety and sustainability), Paris is the top city. The next positions on this list belong to Madrid and Tokyo. Bangkok is not in the top 10 of this ranking.

Global tourism trends and their impact on tourists

Euromonitor International’s report also points to a significant strategic shift in the global tourism industry by 2025. Many cities are shifting their focus from quantity to quality to address overtourism. Destinations will prioritize attracting long-stay, high-spending tourists who are environmentally conscious and culturally sensitive.

This change, combined with security and inflation concerns, is leading many countries to adjust their entry fees. Some notable changes include:

• The UK and the US have both increased entry fees in 2025.
• The European Union plans to introduce a new European Travel Authorization System (ETIAS) with higher fees.
• In Asia, Japan is considering raising visa fees and developing a new electronic licensing system, expected to be operational by 2028.

These factors are expected to have a direct impact on the long-term attractiveness of tourist destinations around the world.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/bangkok-continues-to-be-the-world's-most-welcoming-city-2025-3314281.html