US, China continue to drive global travel

Muscat: The US and mainland China are continuing to drive global travel, according to the newest edition of Mastercard's Global Destination Cities Index.

According to the index, this year the US was the top origin market for travellers followed by mainland China, Germany, the UK and France. Travel from across Asia-Pacific also surged; the Republic of Korea and Taiwan, which were not in the top 10 a decade ago, rose to sixth and 10th place respectively. Other countries listed in the top 10 included Japan (7), Canada (8), and Russia (9).

According to the index, the top three countries visited by Americans were Mexico, Canada, and Italy. Meanwhile, the top three countries visited by travellers from mainland China were Thailand, Japan, and the US. German travellers' top three destinations were Italy, Spain and Austria.

“Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index: Origins offers a new way for local officials and companies to see how travellers spend at destinations, providing them with better insights on how to plan and promote travel and tourism capabilities,” said Diana Robino, Senior Vice President, Tourism partnerships for Mastercard.

“Managed well, travel and tourism can be a catalyst for inclusive growth, benefiting both visitors and all communities in the destinations. Mastercard is committed to using its expertise and technology to help cities and destinations realise these opportunities,” Robino added.

Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index: Origins specifically ranks where the most people travel internationally from, and their top destinations.