MasterCard says London tops

London has been crowned the most popular tourist destination in the world, by the respected Mastercard Global Cities Index report, putting the city ahead of Bangkok and Paris.

Now in its fourth year, the index, which uses data from 132 of the most travelled cities from around the world, reveals London is projected to receive 18.7m international visitors in 2014.  This translates into an injection of over £11bn for the capital in the year.

The report also reveals that London has retained its top rank position from 2013 in relation to the amount that visitors spend which is estimated to be an average of £1,387 per resident in 2014.  Put simply, more people are visiting London and spending more in the capital than in any other city in the world.

The UK capital remains the air hub of the world and with 140m annual passengers through its six airports.

“The Index points to a continued strong demand and interest in air travel, both for business and personal travel,” said Ann Cairns, President of International Markets, MasterCard. www.mastercard.co.uk

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