20 cities earning most tourist dollars in the world

Although there are many cities that see large number of visitors, but not all are able to earn top dollars.

Let's take a look at some places that earned most tourist dollars in the world, according to MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index.

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New York City

Country: The United States

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $18.6 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 1

International tourism is becoming a vital and resilient export for the leading destination cities in the world and its economic and social benefits are far-reaching.

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London

Country: The United Kingdom

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $16.3 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 2

It is well established that the hospitality industry, the transport industry and food and beverage catering industry, among others, are the primary and direct beneficiaries of the demand created by international visitors.

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Paris

Country: France

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $14.6 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 3

Employment in these industries also tends to be labour intensive, which makes tourist spending a potent driver of employment creation in a destination city.

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Bangkok

Country: Thailand

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $14.3 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 4

International visitors to a destination city also seek new and rewarding experiences, especially in the arts, popular culture and entertainment, as well as historical and heritage sites unique to the city.

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Singapore

Country: Singapore

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $13.5 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 5

These visitors and their spending are therefore powerful catalysts for nurturing and driving the growth of creative industries and urban cultures, while preserving the past in ways that uniquely contribute to the attractiveness of the city in question.

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Tokyo

Country: Japan

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $12.7 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 6

So the benefits of international tourism frequently exceed what can be computed in dollar and cents, but affect the very quality and dynamism of urban culture itself.

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Seoul

Country: South Korea

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $10.8 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 7

To the extent that the destination cities succeed in attracting more international visitors, there is the inevitable pressure on improving public infrastructure and facilities.

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Dubai

Country: United Arab Emirates

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $10.4 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 8

With the right policy responses, a virtuous circle can be set in motion; more international visitors leading to more and better investment to improve the cityscape and the overall urban environment, which in turn makes the destination city more attractive to more international visitors.

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Sydney

Country: Australia

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $10.4 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 9

Businesses are then encouraged to invest in the city, further improving employment and income.

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Barcelona

Country: Spain

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $8.9 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 10

Thus, in a slower-growing global economy, destination cities could play a much larger role in sustaining global service trade while supporting their respective national economies through stronger growth in employment and income in their urban economies.

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Istanbul

Country: Turkey

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $8.6 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 11

Destination cities have always been important, but they are set to become even more so in the future.

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Taipei

Country: Taiwan

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $8.1 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 12

It has been more than four years since the global financial crisis erupted in 2008.

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Kuala Lumpur

Country: Malaysia

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $7.8 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 13

Against this background, international travel and cross-border spending have shown to be very resilient as evidenced by data from the cities covered by MasterCard's Global Destination Cities Index.

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Los Angeles

Country: The United States

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $7.8 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 14

So despite the persistent weakness of constrained demand in the global economy, international travel is growing strongly.

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Shanghai

Country: China

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $6.9 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 15

The destination cities in emerging markets expanding the fastest in air connectivity lie in the Middle East and Asia.

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Milan

Country: Italy

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $6.6 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 16

Milan is a major tourist destination not only in Italy, but also in Europe.

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Vancouver

Country: Canada

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $6.5 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 17

Vancouver is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Canada.

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Rome

Country: Italy

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $6.4 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 18

Rome is one of the most ancient cities in the world.

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Amsterdam

Country: The Netherlands

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $6.3 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 19

Amsterdam is one of the most open and progressive cities in the world.

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Miami

Country: The United States

Tourist dollars earned in 2013: $6.3 billion

Global rank in overnight visitor spend: 20

Miami is world famous for its sunny beaches.