Bangkok, Thailand was the most travelled-to tourist destination in 2017 with more than 20 million people flocking there from around the world. Photo / Getty Images
Bangkok, Thailand was the most travelled-to tourist destination in 2017 with more than 20 million people flocking there from around the world. Photo / Getty Images
International travel has been on the rise since 2017, with 10 special cities around the world picking up the majority of out-of-towners.
According to Mastercard, Bangkok, Thailand, London, England, Paris, France, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore were the top five international travel destinations in the last year.
A major deciding factor when picking a travel destination is price. While travellers may snag a cheap flight and hotel accommodation, they can end up spending a fortune on food and drink and getting around. Unsurprisingly, tourists spent the most money per day in Dubai — a whopping $795.
Here's a look at the top ten cities visited in 2017 and how much money visitors spent there daily.
More than 20 million people visited Bangkok, Thailand in 2017. This year, the city is expected to see an increase of more than nine per cent.
Its popularity may be due in part to the fact that Bangkok is one of the cheaper international trips to take. On average, travellers stayed 4.7 nights and spent just $256 per day.
London, England: $226 per day
In 2017, London, England proved to be an affordable and worth-while destination for international travellers. Photo / Getty Images
In 2017, London, England saw more than 19 million international visitors. It's expected to see a three per cent increase in 2018, likely due to the affordability.
Although London is often touted as one of the pricier places to live and work, travellers spent an average of $226 a day. Most people visited for about 5.8 nights, according to Mastercard.
Paris, France saw more than 17 million international travellers in 2017 and is expected to receive an increase of 2.9 per cent more. Photo / Getty Images
Paris, France is the third most popular destination with international travellers. In 2017, 17.44 million people visited the City of Light.
They're projected to see a 2.9 per cent increase in international visits this year. Most people visit Paris for a little over two days and they spend an average of $445 per day.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: $795 per day
Dubai, United Arab Emirates was one of the most popular tourist destinations for international travellers in 2017. Photo / Getty Images
Last year, Dubai, United Arab Emirates hosted about 15.79 million international visitors. They're expecting to see an increase of 5.5 per cent in 2018.
Most travellers visited Dubai for a brief 3.5 nights. Average daily spending was about $795 a day.
Singapore: $396 per day
Singapore was visited by more than 13 million international travellers seeking adventure in 2017. Photo / Getty Images
Singapore was popular with international travellers in 2017 with 13.91 million people flocking there from their respective corners of the world. Mastercard projected there will be a four per cent increase in visits in 2018.
On average, visitors to Singapore spent about $396 daily. Most travelers stayed about 4.3 nights.
New York, US: $217 per day
New York hosted more than 13 million international travelers in 2017 and will see an increase of more than four per cent. Photo / Getty Images
New York was the only Top 10 travel destination in the United States. It saw about 13.13 million visitors in 2017 and is expected to receive an increase of a little over four per cent in 2018.
Most travellers stayed 8.3 nights. They typically spent $217 per day.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: $183 per day
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia drew in 12.58 million people in 2017 - a figure that's expected to increase by 7.5 per cent in 2018. Photo / Getty Images
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was popular with international travellers in 2017 with 12.58 million people jetting there at some point. The capitol city can expect to see an increase of 7.5 per cent in visitors by the time 2018 is done.
Kuala Lumpur is popular for many reasons, but one of them may be how affordable it is. On average, people visited for 5.5 nights and spent just $183 per day.
Tokyo, Japan took in more than 11 million international visitors in 2017 at low cost to them. Photo / Getty Images
More than 11 million people from all over the world visited Tokyo, Japan in 2017. The city will see an increase of just 1.6 per cent in 2018, Mastercard reported.
Most people who visited Tokyo in 2017 stayed a little over six nights. An average day cost about $228.
Istanbul, Turkey: $159 per day
Istanbul, Turkey was among the most popular destinations with international travellers in 2017 and its expecting a huge increase in 2018. Photo / Getty Images
Istanbul, Turkey was wildly popular with travellers in 2017 and it's expected to rise exponentially in 2018. More than 10 million people made the journey there last year.
Mastercard has predicted that 19.7 per cent more travelers will head there in 2018.
The average visitor spent 5.8 nights there and spent a mere $159 per day. The sheer affordability is likely a major factor in Istanbul's popularity with those bitten by the travel bug.
Seoul, South Korea: $268 per day
Seoul, South Korea was the only top 10 destination that saw a decrease in international visitation in 2017. Photo / Getty Images
Seoul, South Korea is the only city in the top 10 travel destinations that saw a decrease in the number of visitors they had in 2017. About 9.54 million people traveled there.
