Paris may have jambon-beurre and London double-decker buses, but Bangkok has more international tourists: Thailand’s cultural and political capital tops global market research company Euromonitor International’s list of Top 10 Cities in International Arrivals in 2024, within its Top 100 City Destinations Index.
In 2024, Bangkok was the most visited city in the world, with the arrival of 32.4 million international visitors (an increase of 37 percent from 2023, when the city was the seventh most visited overall).
That Bangkok is a top draw is hardly surprising. Arriving here is like stepping into a kaleidoscope of contrasts: the electrifying chaos of tuk-tuks zipping through streets flanked by temples and skyscrapers; the scent of sizzling street food mingling with jasmine incense; the cool hum of air-conditioned malls a stone’s throw from markets spilling over with color and chatter. Oh, and there are also the famous attractions like dizzying Wat Arun, the golden Buddhas of Wat Pho, and the glittering Grand Palace.
With the forthcoming third season of the hugely popular White Lotus TV show shining a spotlight on Thailand—filming is happening in Bangkok and on the islands of Phuket and Ko Samui—this city is poised to welcome a new wave of curious travelers in 2025, much like the locations for the first and second seasons, Hawai‘i and Sicily, respectively, did after their seasons were released.
Last year’s most visited city, Istanbul, was bumped to second place with 23 million international visitors, a 14 percent increase from the 20.2 million the city saw in 2023. As Anya von Bremzen wrote for Afar in 2019, spending time on the ferries that traverse the strait between Istanbul’s European and Asian shores is also a must.
London is third on the list of most visited cities, with 21.7 million visitors, and Hong Kong (20.5 million) and Mecca (19.3 million) round out the top five. No U.S. cities made the top 10 list.
The index also shows how much international travel has recovered following the coronavirus pandemic: There has been a 19 percent growth in international arrivals worldwide from 2023 to 2024, on top of a 38 percent increase from 2022 to 2023. Bangkok had a 37 percent lift in visitors from 2023 to 2024, but Kuala Lumpur saw the most growth over the past year, with a 73 percent increase from the prior year.
Here is a list of the world’s most visited cities by international arrivals:
- Bangkok, Thailand: 32.4 million
- Istanbul, Türkiye: 23 million
- London, U.K.: 21.7 million
- Hong Kong: 20.5 million
- Mecca, Saudi Arabia: 19.3 million
- Antalya, Turkey: 19.3 million
- Dubai, U.A.E.: 18.2 million
- Macau: 18 million
- Paris, France: 17.4 million
- Kuala Lumpur, Indonesia: 16.5 million
This article was originally published in 2019; it was updated on January 31, 2025, with current information.
