World's Most Touristy City

This Is Officially the World's Most Touristy City

ANDREA ROMANO 

Practically any major city in the world has its “touristy” parts, but there are some that truly rely on tourism to boost their economy.


There are plenty of cities out there that are popular with tourists. Bangkok, Thailand, for example, is among the most visited cities in the world for people who are itching for an adventure.

However, Cancun, Mexico is the biggest tourist destination out there when it comes to Gross Domestic Product (total value of the goods and services produced), reported Lonely Planet.

According to a report from the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) filed in October, tourism accounts for nearly half, approximately 49.6 percent, of the city’s GDP. So, mom and dad, Spring Breakers aren’t just partying, they’re also keeping Cancun’s economy strong.

Cities that closely followed Cancun include Marrakech, Morroco, with tourism making up 30.2 percent of its GDP, Macau, China (29.3 percent), Orlando, Florida (18.7 percent), Antalya, Turkey (17.6 percent), and Dubrovnik, Croatia (17.4 percent).

The WTTC’s analysis also showed that cities now represent 45 percent of global international travel. In fact, over the last decade, travelers have been increasingly going to new urban destinations, which the WTTC attributes to “growing connectivity and rich cultural assets.”

The organization also stated in the report that the “fastest growing Travel & Tourism city destinations are also among the fastest growing city economies.” The organization predicts that “Beijing and Paris are forecasted to remain the second and third largest city destinations in 2027,” however, “ Paris will be half the size of Shanghai.”

This report is consistent with another report by the Euromonitor International, which stated that China will outpace France as world’s most popular destination.