1. Bangkok
Hanging on to the top spot for the fourth year running
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s 2018 data, Thailand has the largest tourism economy in Southeast Asia. The $70.1 billion that tourists spent there last year accounted for 20.8% of Thailand's export earnings, the WTTC said.
But being heavily dependant on one sector can put an economy at the mercy of global trends. A strengthening Thai currency and a slowdown in the global economy could impact Thailand’s tourism income, Mastercard said.
In the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide reached 1.4 billion, with emerging economies contributing larger proportions of travellers to this global trend.
, Thailand’s capital welcomed more than 22 million visitors last year.