Delhi must be a place to avoid for many Indians due to the choking pollution. But the Indian capital is one of the most favourite destinations for travellers across the world. Currently ranked 11th the in the list of world’s top popular destinations, Delhi will break into the top 10 list this year.
According to Euromonitor International which prepared a list of top 100, Delhi ranks 11th and six other Indian cities are also in the list. As per the forecast for 2019, Delhi will be ranked 8th.
“India has gained noteworthy attention for its yoga retreats and Ayurveda practices,” said Euromonitor International, a UK-based global market research company. A world class airport and connectivity to most of the locations in the northern part of India has helped Delhi to increase its position in the list of top 100 most popular cities.
Delhi has witnessed an average growth of over 25% in terms of international tourists this year. During 2018, Delhi had 12.65 million visitors and this is expected to touch 15.2 million this year.
Asian cities also lead the list with Hong Kong remaining at number one spot. However, the number of visitors arriving to Hong Kong declined in 2019. Asia posted fastest growth in the number of international arrivals globally. There are 43 cities from the Asia in the “top 100 City Destination” ranking.
The cities have been ranked according to the estimated international arrivals. The research covers overseas visitors, or “arrivals”, who stay longer than 24 hours and less than one year in over 400 cities. Arrivals include people travelling for business, leisure and to visit family or friends, but excludes those in employment, studying as well as military personnel, transportation crew, cruise passengers and people displaced by war or natural disasters.
Mumbai has also seen massive growth in the tourism industry this year. With a growing financial sector and world famous Bollywood film industry, Mumbai is set to further expand its tourism sector in the next five years. Mumbai recorded 10.60 million arrivals in 2018 and the estimated number for 2019 is 12.45 million.
