Surpassing Istanbul, Bangkok (Thailand) is the city welcoming the most international visitors in 2024

Thailand's tourist-friendly visa policies have played a major role in boosting Bangkok's appeal.

The figure of 32.4 million visitors shows the resilience and strength of Thailand's tourism industry. (Source: Travel + Leisure)

Market research and data analytics firm Euromonitor International has named Thailand's capital Bangkok as the world's most internationally visited city by 2024, after the city welcomed a record 32.4 million visitors.

This figure far exceeds Istanbul (Türkiye), the second city on the list with 23 million visitors, followed by London (UK) with 21.7 million visitors.

Bangkok’s success is not only reflected in the number of visitors, but also in the country’s tourism policies and overall appeal. Thailand’s tourist-friendly visa policies have played a major role in boosting the city’s appeal. Such policies include a 60-day visa waiver for citizens of 93 countries and territories. Thailand also nearly doubled the number of countries eligible for visa on arrival from 19 to 31, effective July 15.

The 32.4 million arrivals surpassed the number of tourists visiting Bangkok before the Covid-19 pandemic and represented an impressive growth of more than 30% compared to the same period last year, demonstrating the resilience and strength of Thailand's tourism industry.

The Euromonitor International report also evaluated six key pillars including economic and business tourism performance, tourism performance, infrastructure, policy and attractiveness, health and safety, and sustainability. According to these criteria, Bangkok did not make the list of the top 10 most attractive destinations. Instead, Paris (France) topped the list, followed by Madrid (Spain) and Tokyo (Japan).

The Euromonitor International report also highlights the challenges facing global tourism, including labor shortages, geopolitical tensions and weak economic conditions. An emerging trend is that tourists are increasingly opting for less well-known destinations, as cities around the world adopt policies to combat overtourism.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/vuot-istanbul-bangkok-thailand-la-thanh-pho-don-nhie-u-khach-quoc-te-nhat-trong-nam-2024-296687.html