London tops list of 2014’s most-visited international cities

London has topped a list of the most visited cities for international travellers for the third time in four years. 

The MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index, now in its fourth year, uses data from 132 of the most travelled cities around the world. It found that this influx of visitors will boost the UK economy by £11bn and see 18.7 million visitors come to the capital.

This figure is 300,000 more visitors than the next city on the list, Bangkok, which came top last year, and whose visitors will spend just over £7.6bn in comparison.

The remaining top-five cities in the index were Paris, Singapore and Dubai, which are benefitting from a surge in international travel fuelled by an “expanding middle class, innovations in luxury travel and rising need for business travel”.

Ann Cairns, president of international markets at MasterCard, said: “The index points to a continued strong demand and interest in air travel, both for business and personal travel. The recognition of this year’s top international destinations reinforces the continued importance of cities as business, cultural and economic hubs.”