New research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reveals Paris as the world’s most powerful city destination. But the future belongs to China.
The report, sponsored by Visa and researched in partnership with Oxford Economics, analyzed key indicators such as Travel & Tourism’s contribution to GDP, employment and traveller spend.
The U.S. had three cities in the top 10: Orlando, New York and Las Vegas. China had three in the top 10: Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
COVID-19 had a devastating impact on Travel & Tourism and in particular major cities around the world as countries closed their borders in response to the pandemic. As borders reopened, many leisure travellers swapped city visits for less-populated destinations such as coastal and rural destinations, but latest research from WTTC shows that city holidays are back and growing in popularity.
Paris takes the crown as the world’s most powerful city destination with a Travel & Tourism sector value of nearly $36 billion USD in 2022, in terms of direct GDP contribution to the city.
Beijing is currently the second biggest city destination in the world with a Travel & Tourism sector worth nearly $33 billion. However, te WTTC predicts it will leapfrog Paris within the next 10 years, growing to a staggering $77 billion.
Often dubbed the theme park capital of the world, Orlando’s Travel & Tourism sector was valued at $31 billion in 2022. Despite predictions that it will grow $45 billion USD by 2032, the WTTC says Orlando likely will drop down to become the fourth biggest city destination.
China’s national Travel & Tourism sector has seen phenomenal growth over the last decade as the country has invested in new hotels, transport infrastructure and new tourist destinations.
This investment in Travel & Tourism sees Shanghai’s sector, worth nearly $30 billion last year, predicted to more than double to almost $71 bllion by 2032, to become the world’s second most powerful city destination.
Last year, Las Vegas’s Travel & Tourism sector was worth nearly $23 billion, and is predicted to grow to over $36 billio by 2032.
“Major cities such as London, Paris and New York will remain global powerhouses but over the next few years, Beijing, Shanghai, and Macau will be moving up the list of top city destinations,” said Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO.
“Tourists will always have favourite cities that they will return to, but as other countries prioritise Travel & Tourism, we are going to see new and emerging destinations challenging the traditional favourites.”
The Las Vegas Strip. Stephen Leonardi – Unsplash Photo
Other cities outside the top 10 showing promising growth as emerging destinations include the Polish capital of Warsaw, which has seen a 14.4% increase in its GDP contribution in 2022 versus 2019.
Sanya, the Chinese coastal city which has become a popular tourist destination in recent years as holidaymakers visited its stunning beaches witnessed a 10.2% growth during that same period. Its Travel & Tourism sector represents an incredible 43.6% of the city’s total economy. Macau’s Travel & Tourism sector represents 40.4% of the city’s total economy.
Here’s the WTTC’s Top Ten World Tourism Cities:
1. Paris
2. Beijing
3. Orlando
4. Shanghai
5. Las Vegas
6. New York
7. Tokyo
8. Mexico City
9. London
10. Guangzhou, China
DOMINICA TOURISM SURGES
Batibou Beach, Dominica. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Discover Dominica, the tourism office for the island of Dominica, reports a significant increase in 2022 tourism arrival numbers, projecting even stronger growth in 2023.
The destination welcomed 60,704 visitors in 2022 compared to 14,888 in 2021, an increase of more than 308%. The 60,000-plus visitors also was considerably higher than the country’s previous estimate of 50,000 visits for the year.
Officials said the uptick can be attributed to a few key factors including an increase post-pandemic travel demand, relaxed COVID protocols, the island’s first direct flight from the U.S., as well as being recognized by well-known travel sources as a top Caribbean destination.
“We are thrilled to see the comeback of travel,” said Discover Dominica CEO Colin Piper. “We are still working toward recovery as we are not yet back to pre-pandemic numbers, but we are in a good place as we begin 2023 with strong bookings throughout the winter travel season. In 2023, Dominica remains focused on its sustainability efforts, which is becoming an increasingly popular selling point of the island.”
Overall, 2022 proved to be a momentous year for Dominica. Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic when demand for new travel experiences and outdoor adventures were at an all-time high, the island had much to celebrate. From the opening of Coulibri Ridge, an ultra-luxury resort that is completely self-sufficient, to the record numbers of attendees at the first in-person World Creole Music Festival since the pandemic, the island saw a tremendous amount of interest among repeat and new visitors to the island.
For the first time, Dominica received recognition from some of the world’s leading travel publications as a coveted tourism destination in the region. The Nature Island was recognized by Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards as the number one island on the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas list for 2022. Additionally, Lonely Planet named Dominica as one of the top destinations to unwind in its ‘Best in Travel’ list for 2023, marking another first for the island. Forbes also featured Dominica as one of the top destinations to travel to in 2023.
December 2022 marked the first anniversary of American Airlines’ nonstop service to Dominica from Miami International Airport. The first commercial service to the island from the U.S, the addition of the flight has made the island more accessible than ever before. As of November 2022, the American Airlines’ service contributed nearly 33% of all carrier contributions to the island. Service will continue throughout 2023 with changes to the schedule and frequency.
“The addition of the American Airlines flight had a significant impact on our tourism arrivals. It’s never been faster or easier for U.S. visitors to travel to and from Dominica. It’s also a valuable addition for the diaspora community,” continued Piper. “We appreciate American Airlines continued support and look forward to seeing more U.S. travelers exploring our beautiful island this year.”
For more information on Dominica, visit Dominica’s official website at www.discoverdominica.com, explore the destination’s YouTube Page and follow Dominica on Instagram and Facebook.
