10 Fastest Growing Tourism Cities All in Asia

The World Travel & Tourism Council has released city tourism impact data that show the world’s top 10 fastest growing tourism cities are all in Asia.

Asia Pacific City Travel & Tourism Impact is one of a series of reports by WTTC, which looks at the contribution of travel and tourism to city economies and job creation. The study covers 65 cities, 21 of which are in Asia Pacific, Eturbonews.com reported.

The data show Asian cities are at the forefront of tourism growth over the next 10 years. Chongqing (14% growth per year) heads the table, followed by Guanghzhou (13.1%), Shanghai (12.8%) and Beijing (12%) all in China. The other cities on the list are Chengdu, China (11.2%), Manila, the Philippines (10.9%), Delhi, India (10.8%), Shenzhen, China (10.7%), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (10.1%) and Jakarta, Indonesia (10%).

With the world average growth rate at 4% per year and Asia Pacific at 5.8%, these cities are significantly outpacing both the regional and global average. Asia Pacific also includes some of the world’s largest travel and tourism cities. Shanghai, with an annual tourism GDP contribution of $30 billion is the largest in the world, followed by Beijing ($27 billion). Tokyo ($20 billion) is ranked sixth in the world.

Shanghai and Beijing together account for 21% of China’s travel and tourism economic impact, whereas Tokyo alone accounts for 18% of Japan’s total.