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Ranked: Top 10 Cities Where International Travelers Spend the Most

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Top Cities for International Travelers Spending

Top 10 Cities Where International Travelers Spend the Most

When it comes to travel, some tourists spare no expense. And some cities are well suited to attract them.

From the luxurious desert city of Dubai to the city of light and love, Paris, many international travelers today are looking to tick the crème de la crème of destinations off their bucket lists. In some cases, they’re seeking out the opulent experiences they missed out on when the pandemic brought the world to a halt.

In this graphic, we use the latest research by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) to highlight the top 10 cities where international travelers spent the most in 2022.

Cities of Opulence

Last year, Dubai took top spot, followed by nearby Doha, Qatar.

RankCityCountry / RegionIncome from International Tourists (2022)
#1Dubai🇦🇪 UAE$29.42B
#2Doha🇶🇦 Qatar$16.79B
#3London🇬🇧 UK$16.07B
#4Macau🇲🇴 Macau SAR$15.58B
#5Amsterdam🇳🇱 Netherlands$13.59B
#6Istanbul🇹🇷 Türkiye$13.13B
#7Barcelona🇪🇸 Spain$12.73B
#8New York🇺🇸 U.S.$12.45B
#9Singapore🇸🇬 Singapore$10.97B
#10Paris🇫🇷 France$9.76B

Singapore and Macau represented East Asia, and New York was the sole city from the Americas on the list.

It’s worth noting that this list differs somewhat from overall tourism spending, which would include domestic travel spending as well. Large countries like the United States and China fare better in that ranking.

City Spotlight: Destinations Favored by Big Spenders

When you think of luxury travel, you think of five-star hotels, Michelin-star restaurants, luxury retail outlets, and many other premium experiences. And these cities offered their international travelers just that.

#1. Dubai

From the Burj Khalifa, currently the world’s tallest building, to the desert excursions and yacht cruises, Dubai offers extravagant experiences for international visitors. The city’s reputation for tax-free, high-end shopping and its commitment to providing a luxurious experience has made it a top travel destination for luxury shoppers from around the world.

Location is another factor in the city’s success. Dubai sits at the natural crossroads between Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, and is home to one of the world’s busiest, well-connected airports.

International travelers spent close to $30 billion in the city in 2022.

#3. London

London has long been a preferred location for the ultra-wealthy, and as a result, the city has an abundance of amenities for well-heeled travelers. For one, London is home to more five star hotels than any other city. As well, London offers ultra-wealthy travelers access to a wide range of high-end designer retailers, as well as world-famous museums, galleries, and landmarks.

Of course, the UK’s largest city also sees a high overall volume of tourists overall, which adds to the $16 billion global visitors spent in the city in 2022.

#4. Macau

Known as the Las Vegas of Asia, Macau’s gambling hub has been a magnet for international tourists for years. However, as the city began re-imagining its tourism strategies post-pandemic, it has grown stronger as an international tourist destination.

Outside tourists brought in $15.6 billion in 2022, and that number is only expected to multiply further over the next decade. This growth is being fueled by China and Hong Kong, which account for the lion’s share of visits.

Note: Although Macau is now a part of China, it remains a Special Administrative Region under the “One Country, Two Systems” principle.

Transforming Travel Trends

The global travel industry continues to recover from the pandemic, which is good news for the many nations that economically rely on tourism.

As travel restrictions were lifted, many tourists flocked to remote destinations that were less traveled. However, this WTTC research is proof that the world’s iconic cities are making their way back onto tourist itineraries once again.

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Travel

Ranked: Global Airlines with the Most Plane Crashes

Considering there are tens of millions of flights per year, major plane crashes are actually extremely rare.

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A cropped bar chart showing the most plane crashes by airlines, current up to September 2023.

Ranked: Global Airlines With the Most Plane Crashes

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Before flight was even invented, humans have been fascinated by the vast skies above them, and for obvious reasons. There is inherent marvel in defying something as fundamental as gravity; in quite literally, reaching for the stars.

And from the early days of military use, the aviation industry is now critical to the movement of goods and people around the world.

Nevertheless, there are accidents, and while few and far between, their scale and tragedy tend to leave a big impact on collective psyches. But which airline companies have seen the most number of incidents?

Using research published by Executive Flyers on September 19, 2023, we rank global airlines based on the number of their plane crashes.

Which Global Airline Has Had the Most Crashes?

Air France and American Airlines tie for most plane crashes, with 11 each.

Notably two of American’s incidents happened on September 11th, 2001, as did two from United Airlines’ seven crashes.

RankAirlineNumber of
plane crashes
1American Airlines11
1Air France11
2China Airlines9
2Korean Air9
3Pakistan International Airlines8
4United Airlines7
5Egyptair6
5Ethiopian Airlines6
5Thai Airways6
6American Eagle5
6Continental Airlines5
6Lufthansa5

Note: American Eagle is the brand name of a regional branch of American Airlines. Continental Airlines merged with United in 2012.

China Airlines and Korean Air also tie with nine crashes each, followed by Pakistan International Airlines with eight accidents.

While many plane crashes do not result in fatalities, here are some examples that were particularly deadly:

  • Air France: In June 2009, Flight 477 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 228 onboard.
  • Air China: In May 2002, Flight 611 disintegrated mid-air due to repair faults, killing all 225 onboard.
  • United Airlines: In Sept 1965, Flight 389 crashed while landing in Salt Lake City, killing 43 of 91 passengers.
  • Thai Airlines: In Aug 1987, Flight 365 crashed near Phuket, killing all 83 onboard.

The much-covered disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 in 2014 prompted an overhaul of airline regulations and safety measures including better satellite tracking and improved training for crews during emergency situations.

And aside from pilot error, aircraft models themselves can often be the cause of accidents. Two Boeing 737 Max planes crashed in 2018–19, stemming from issues with the model’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System system, a flight control software designed to prevent stalls.

Finally, hostile airspace has also caused aircraft accidents. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 were shot down by Russian separatist forces and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2014 and 2020 respectively.

How Safe is Air Travel?

It is useful to remember however that airlines have suffered a very small number of accidents throughout history. Considering there are tens of millions of flights per year, major crashes are actually extremely rare.

“If you take one flight a day, you would, on average, need to fly every day for 55,000 years before being involved in a fatal crash.” — Arnold Barnett, Professor of Statistics at MIT, via ABC News.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. has gone nearly 15 years without a major commercial airline crash, despite the more than 100 million flights and 10 billion passengers since then.

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