A newly released list of the world’s fastest growing tourism destinations is made up entirely of cities in Asia-Pacific, with China leading the charge.
Analysts at the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) put together a ranking of the top 10 fastest growing tourism destinations based on travel and tourism GDP and found that six of the 10 cities are found in China.
With 14 percent growth predicted over the next decade, Chongqing in southwest of China tops the leader board, followed by Guangzhou (13 percent) and Shanghai (13 percent).
Double-digit growth will make Shanghai an even bigger tourism powerhouse, as the city currently generates an annual tourism GDP contribution of US$30 billion, the largest in the world, says the WTTC.
Authors credit the explosive growth in China to domestic leisure and business travel, with rising prosperity and wealthier Chinese households fueling travel demand.
At nearly 6 percent, the average growth rate for Asia-Pacific outpaces the average growth rate of 4 percent a year at the global level.
Along with driving up demand for domestic tourism, China is also a major source market for neighboring cities in the region like Tokyo, where nearly a quarter of tourism spending can be traced to Chinese visitors.
China is Tokyo’s largest market.
Chinese travelers also make up 38 percent of tourist spending in Bangkok.
Here are the fastest growing tourism cities according to the WTTC:
1. Chongqing
2. Guangzhou
3. Shanghai
4. Beijing
5. Chengdu
6. Manila
7. Delhi
8. Shenzhen
9. Kuala Lumpur
10. Jakarta
AFP