Photographs: Reuters
Cities across the world are expanding airports, constructing hotels and improving facilities all to attract tourist dollars. With tourism playing a major part of many economies, it's not a surprise that many destinations are going out of their way to woo visitors.
Let's take a look at 20 cities that attracted most international visitors in 2013.
Source: Mastercard Global Cities Index
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Kerek Wongsa/Reuters
Bangkok
Country: Thailand
International overnight visitors in 2013: 15.98 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 1
Bangkok has many attractions, ranging from royal palaces and temples to shopping and eating joints. The city is also well-known for its exciting nightlife, cultural scene and historical locations. Apart from foreign visitors, Thailand's capital also sees huge number of domestic travellers.
Its main airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, is the 14th busiest in the world.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Chris Helgren/Reuters
London
Country: The United Kingdom
International overnight visitors in 2013: 15.96 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 2
Some of the major attractions in London are Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and London Eye. It's also famous for its parks, such as St James's Park, Hyde Park and Hampstead Heath.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Christian Hartmann/Reuters
Paris
Country: France
International overnight visitors in 2013: 13.92 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 3
Paris, the city of romance, has some of the most loved attractions in the world, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Champs-Elysees and Notre Dame de Paris. To make commuting easy, the city has several forms of transport, such as buses, Metro and boats.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Edgar Su/Reuters
Singapore
Country: Singapore
International overnight visitors in 2013: 11.75 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 4
Singapore has many things going for itself, such as low crime rate, prevalence of English language and world-class infrastructure. The city-state gets more visitors annually than its population.
Some of the major attractions are Orchard Road district, Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World Sentosa and Singapore Zoo.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Brendan McDermid/Reuters
New York City
Country: The United States
International overnight visitors in 2013: 11.52 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 5
New York City, one of the world's most visited cities in the world, has several attractions for both domestic and international visitors. Some of the most well-known hotspots are Times Square, Fifth and Madison Avenues, Statue of Liberty and Broadway.
Some of the events that see huge numbers of tourists include Halloween Parade, Labor Day Carnival and New York Marathon.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Murad Sezer/Reuters
Istanbul
Country: Turkey
International overnight visitors in 2013: 10.37 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 6
Istanbul, one of the world's leading conference centres, has thousands of hotels and destinations attracting both business and leisure travellers. Its two main airports handle millions of passengers every year.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Jumana El Heloueh/Reuters
Dubai
Country: The United Arab Emirates
International overnight visitors in 2013: 9.89 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 7
Dubai, which is called the Shopping Destination of the Middle East, is famous for its malls, desert safari, parks and nightlife. It has some of the best hotels and also boasts the tallest building, Burj Khalifa, in the world.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters
Kuala Lumpur
Country: Malaysia
International overnight visitors in 2013: 9.20 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 8
Kuala Lumpur, which has more than 60 shopping malls, is a tourist magnate for its dining experience, cultural scene and nightlife. Some of the major attractions are Petaling Street, the National Palace, Petronas Twin Towers and Suria KLCC.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Bobby Yip/Reuters
Hong Kong
Country: Hong Kong
International overnight visitors in 2013: 8.72 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 9
Tourism is one of the most important economic activity in Hong Kong. The city has number of attractions, including Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, Peninsula Hotel and Star Ferry Pier.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Albert Gea/Reuters
Barcelona
Country: Spain
International overnight visitors in 2013: 8.41 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 10
Barcelona, a city known for its moderate climate, has some of the best beaches in the world, excellent hotels, shopping areas and top-class infrastructure.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Lee Jae-Won/Reuters
Seoul
Country: South Korea
International overnight visitors in 2013: 8.19 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 11
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is a city of shopping malls, cultural attractions and dynamic nightlife. Some of the best shopping areas are Dongdaemun Market, Namdaemun market, Insa-dong and Gangnam.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters
Milan
Country: Italy
International overnight visitors in 2013: 6.83 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 12
Milan has several tourist attractions, such as Duomo and Piazza, Teatro alla Scala, San Siro Stadium, and is known for entertainment, cultural scene and leisure opportunities.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters
Rome
Country: Italy
International overnight visitors in 2013: 6.71 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 13
Rome, which has been one of the most popular tourist destination for long time, has some of the most visited sites in the world, including Vatican Museums, Colosseum, St Peter's Basilica and Trevi Fountain.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Aly Song/Reuters
Shanghai
Country: China
International overnight visitors in 2013: 6.50 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 14
Shanghai, one of the fastest growing cities in the world, is famous for its excellent infrastructure, exciting nightlife, cultural scenes and eating delights.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Michael Kooren/Reuters
Amsterdam
Country: The Netherlands
International overnight visitors in 2013: 6.35 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 15
Amsterdam is a city that has attractions ranging from museums to shopping districts to canals and red-light areas. Some of the famous destinations are the canals, Rijksmuseum museum, Albert Cuyp Market, Amsterdam Diamond Centre and De Wallen, a red-light district.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Kimimasa Mayama/Reuters
Tokyo
Country: Japan
International overnight visitors in 2013: 5.80 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 16
Tokyo, which has two main airports, has several popular destinations, such as Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, Tokyo National Museum and Tsukiji Fish Market.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters
Vienna
Country: Austria
International overnight visitors in 2013: 5.37 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 17
Vienna, which is once again seeing a surge in visitor numbers, has several world famous attractions, such as Schonbrunn Palace, Tiergarten Schonbrunn, the world's oldest zoo, and Vienna State Opera. The city offers both historical delights and dynamic nightlife.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Pichi Chuang/Reuters
Taipei
Country: Taiwan
International overnight visitors in 2013: 5.19 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 18
Taipei, the capital of Taiwan has number of destinations for both international and domestic travellers, including Taipei 101, Shilin Night Market, Beitou Hot Springs and Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Ali Jarekji/Reuters
Riyadh
Country: Saudi Arabia
International overnight visitors in 2013: 5.05 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 19
Riyadh, one of the richest cities in the world, is the commercial and political capital of Saudi Arabia. Many multinational companies and banks are based in the city.
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20 cities attracting most tourists in the world
Photographs: Fred Prouser/Reuters
Los Angeles
Country: The United States
International overnight visitors in 2013: 4.84 million
Overall rank in tourist numbers: 20
Los Angeles, home of Hollywood, has some of the most famous attractions, such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Kodak Theatre, Griffith Observatory and the Getty Center. It also boasts some of the biggest companies in the globe.
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