Tourists to Bangkok is ranked third Globally

Bangkok Ranks Third Globally in context  of the Number of International Tourists Expected. Expected to receive 12.2 million international visitors in 2012

 MUMBAI, JUNE 21, 2012: Bangkok, the capital city of ‘Amazing Thailand’ has been ranked third globally in terms of the number of international tourists expected to visit the city in 2012.

MasterCard Worldwide annual Global Destination Cities Index has stated that the number of people travelling abroad continues to increase around the world despite a challenging economic environment.

Bangkok was the top ranked city in Asia and outranked cities such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Dubai. The index said Bangkok will attract 12.2 million visitors. Globally, the list was topped by London (16.9 million visitors), followed by Paris.

The index also placed Bangkok third in a list ranked by visitor spend. It said a total of $19.3bn will be spent by tourists in Bangkok, up 19.3 percent compared to the previous year.

Commenting on this remarkable achievement, Mr. Sethaphan Buddhani, Director for Tourism Authority of Thailand, Mumbai said “The entire team at the Tourism Authority of Thailand across the globe is proud that tourists across the world chose Bangkok as their preferred destination in Asia. Bangkok and all our major cities that attract tourists globally and especially India are indeed perceived as a value for money destination and therefore attracts travelers in search of a culturally enriched but at the same time, vibrant city. We are pleased that Bangkok has outranked cities such as New York, Madrid, Rome and Barcelona and hope that our constant efforts make Bangkok the number one most visited city worldwide”

Mr. Buddhani further elaborated,” India is a key source market of travelers for Thailand. For the calendar year 2011, over 900,000 Indian holiday and business travelers traveled to the Kingdom making Amazing Thailand the number 1 destination for outbound travelers from India.”

Bangkok is the capital and also the largest city of Thailand. It is also known as Krung Thep in the Thai language. Bangkok is one of the top cities of Southeast Asia economically. It is one of the foremost tourist destinations of the world and tourists normally travel to Bangkok for its vibrant nightlife, world renowned cuisine ranging from street food to fine dining restaurants, beautiful temples and luxury hotels. Over the last few decades, Bangkok has changed into a modern, exciting, and sophisticated city. Bangkok offers visitors not only the modern amenities they would expect from other cosmopolitan cities, but also a unique treasure trove of cultural attractions.

For further information please contact:

Ms. Sonalee Vaz

Tourism Authority of Thailand

Mumbai Marketing & Public Relations Office

Tel: 022 – 6517 2273

Fax: 022- 22828835

Email: thailand@charsonadvisory.com