Hong Kong follows number 1
Despite the turmoil that marked 2015 (geopolitical conflicts, terrorist attacks, economic uncertainty, health threats such as the Zika virus), global urban travel flows recorded growth of 5.5% in international arrivals compared to 2014, according to the report. The big cities enjoy an excellent tourist health and are going to more.
bangkok rises to second place after a year-on-year increase of 10%. The bronze medal goes to ** London **, with its 18,580,000 international arrivals, which is 6.8% more than the previous year. **Singapore** drops one place from the previous year and Paris completes the Top 5 with more than 15 million arrivals. On the other hand, several cities in the Top 20 exceed 8% year-on-year growth: ** Dubai ** (8%) in seventh position, Rome (8.5%) in the thirteenth, phuket (Thailand) with 8.7% and the sixteenth position or Pattaya , also in Thailand, with an impressive 16.5% and the 20th position.
Top 20 of the cities that received the most international arrivals in 2015
TWO SPANISH CITIES IN THE TOP 100
Madrid and Barcelona are in luck, both have risen one position compared to the previous year : Barcelona ranks 25th and Madrid 40th. In the case of Barcelona, it has grown by 5.7% and, for its part, the Spanish capital a 10.2% . You can check the full report here.
Top 21-40 of the cities that received the most international arrivals in 2015
URBAN TRENDS
- "Urban populations are growing rapidly around the world, which means that in the future we will see more people traveling between cities explains travel analyst and report coordinator Wouter Geerts. Chinese cities are becoming powerhouses both in terms of population and economy, with Beijing leading the way.
- Accessibility by air is one of the highest priorities on the planet . The recent approval of a third runway at London Heathrow demonstrates that airport capacity remains at the top of many planners' agendas. "The Chinese government is investing heavily in infrastructure improvements, announcing an investment plan worth $80 billion to 193 aviation projects in mid-2015. The focus is on upgrading facilities in second- and third-tier cities with 82 new airports Y better high-speed rail connections connecting airports Geerts points out.
- Seasonal rentals are changing the way we stay . If the 2008 crisis was a turning point for this type of accommodation, since 2012 its growth has been constant.
Evolution of short-term accommodation vs. Hotels
- The world with Airbnb. "Paris was one of the first cities to allow short-term leasing by changing its legislation in 2014," the report states. This move makes it the number one destination on the platform. London has surpassed New York in 2016, after the hostile positioning of the Big Apple this type of accommodation. Europe is the key market for Airbnb : six of its ten main cities are European, compared to two North American. Rio de Janeiro enters the top 10 after the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, since despite the new hotel infrastructures built for these sports celebrations, it became the official provider of alternative accommodation (accommodating 66,000 people according to their own data).
- Traffic jams and pollution focus the debate on the harmful effects on health, its negative economic implications and its impact on productivity. The report highlights that projects related to "smart cities", aimed at analyzing and controlling traffic flows through technological innovation, will become increasingly common. "Integration with smartphones has been essential for the increase in urban transport, such as car and bike sharing ", they affirm from Euromonitor. The elements that condition a modern urban transport system are: well-developed networks, multimodal integrations, flexible prices, quality digital services, real-time traffic information and autonomous vehicles.
The world with Airbnb in 2016
EUROPE 2015
"Countries with comparable supply to France, Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia (which were hit by terrorist attacks) saw a boom in international arrivals. Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy , in particular, attracted a growing number of visitors," the report states. With the exception of Heraklion, Crete and Rhodes, which were affected by the migration crisis, all cities in these countries showed strong growth. Particularly noteworthy is Athens, which had another record year, with arrivals growing by 22.6% in 2015, despite political and economic tensions.
In Italy, Milan stood out thanks to Expo Milano 2015, which had more than 21 million visitors and attracted many international arrivals, especially during the summer months. Finally, Moscow saw its arrivals drop due to worsening ties with the EU, economic sanctions and a drop in the ruble.
The ten European cities that received the most visitors in 2015