Travel Trends: 100 Most Visited Cities

Figures released from Euromonitor International Top City Destinations Ranking, covering 100 of the world's leading and most dynamic cities in terms of international tourist arrivals have just been released for 2011. Report shows emerging city destinations located in Asia Pacific saw an increase due to a strong economic environment.

While many cities remained in the same rank, Vietnam showed a particularly strong performance with Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi experiencing 40% growth for the second consecutive year, with future demand is likely to be driven by other Vietnamese cities including Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc emerging as international tourists look to discover more new places.

Uncertainty in the global economy still exists, especially in the US and Europe, future growth will be driven by Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Top City Destinations Ranking 2011
Country	City	Rank	2011 Growth (%)
Hong Kong, China	Hong Kong	1	8.8
Singapore	Singapore	2	8.7
United Kingdom	London	3	2.7
Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	4	16.0
China	Macau	5	8.4
Thailand	Bangkok	6	12.5
Turkey	Antalya	7	13.3
China	Shenzhen	8	6.8
USA	New York City	9	3.5
Turkey	Istanbul	10	20.2
China	Guangzhou	11	8.9
France	Paris	12	3.5
United Arab Emirates	Dubai	13	-0.1
China	Shanghai	14	-5.8
USA	Miami	15	7.1
Saudi Arabia	Mecca	16	4.7
Thailand	Pattaya	17	10.5
Italy	Rome	18	4.5
USA	Las Vegas	19	4.2
Spain	Barcelona	20	4.0
Taiwan	Taipei	21	51.3
China	Beijing	22	5.1
USA	Los Angeles	23	8.1
Thailand	Phuket	24	9.5
Hungary	Budapest	25	8.5
Netherlands	Amsterdam	26	12.8
Russia	Moscow	27	11.5
USA	Orlando	28	4.1
Czech Republic	Prague	29	0.0
Germany	Berlin	30	7.5
Austria	Vienna	31	4.8
Turkey	Mugla	32	11.9
Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh	33	45.1
Spain	Madrid	34	0.8
Ukraine	Kiev	35	6.6
Poland	Warsaw	36	35.0
Ireland	Dublin	37	-6.7
Egypt	Cairo	38	-35.0
Turkey	Edirne	39	9.3
China	Zhuhai	40	-2.2
India	Chennai	41	14.0
China	Hangzhou	42	14.2
Argentina	Buenos Aires	43	9.2
USA	San Francisco	44	2.9
Russia	St Petersburg	45	16.0
South Korea	Seoul	46	1.7
Mexico	Mexico City	47	3.7
Japan	Tokyo	48	-28.0
Canada	Toronto	49	0.3
India	Delhi	50	15.0
Australia	Sydney	51	0.2
Indonesia	Denpasar	52	0.5
Mexico	Cancún	53	9.1
Peru	Lima	54	30.0
China	Suzhou	55	14.0
Romania	Bucharest	56	10.0
India	Mumbai	57	7.0
Belgium	Brussels	58	2.1
Dominican Republic	Punta Cana	59	11.0
South Africa	Johannesburg	60	8.4
Germany	Munich	61	4.0
France	Nice	62	2.6
New Zealand	Auckland	63	7.7
Portugal	Lisbon	64	5.4
India	Agra	65	15.0
Italy	Milan	66	4.8
India	Jaipur	67	16.0
Morocco	Marrakech	68	1.2
Egypt	Sharm el Sheikh	69	-21.6
Saudi Arabia	East Province	70	6.4
Syria	Damascus	71	-18.4
Canada	Vancouver	72	-6.6
Indonesia	Jakarta	73	0.3
Bulgaria	Burgas	74	7.7
Syria	Aleppo	75	-12.3
Italy	Venice	76	4.7
Philippines	Manila	77	23.0
Italy	Florence	78	4.5
Bulgaria	Varna	79	7.4
Kenya	Nairobi	80	40.3
USA	Honolulu	81	2.8
Greece	Athens	82	2.0
Vietnam	Hanoi	83	41.5
New Zealand	Christchurch	84	-0.5
United Arab Emirates	Abu Dhabi	85	6.3
Brazil	Rio de Janeiro	86	7.0
China	Guilin	87	14.3
Australia	Melbourne	88	14.4
Brazil	São Paulo	89	3.0
Thailand	Chiang Mai	90	6.3
USA	Washington DC	91	2.6
Saudi Arabia	Riyadh	92	6.5
Azerbaijan	Baku	93	8.6
Turkey	Izmir	94	27.1
China	Nanjing	95	14.4
Bulgaria	Sofia-City & Greater Area	96	9.7
Kyrgyzstan	Issyk-Kulskaya Oblast	97	57.6
Belarus	Minsk	98	2.8
India	Kolkatta	99	9.0
Switzerland	Zurich	100	3.3

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Source: Euromonitor International’s Top 100 City Destinations Ranking (2001 Results)

Houston - Enjoy The NASA City!

In collaboration with / and guest post by farebuzz.com.

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It was on one fine weekend evening when I received a mail from my head office. They asked me to go to Houston to solve some issues pertaining to my Company. This city is one of the major cities in the United States of America. Besides, NASA, it is well known for its energy sources such as oil and natural gas. The city is well known for its energy production and it also houses many prominent corporate houses. It has a reputation of being one of the most visited cities in US. Thus, our company has a good market there with immense business opportunities. There are many flights to Houston and my tickets were booked on British Airways.

My office people looked for cheap tickets and this was not very difficult. On the very first day I reached this destination, I got busy in my official work. For the next two three days, I could not see any attractions in the city as I was busy. On the very first day, when I got free, I visited NASA. I came to know about the remarkable feats achieved by this Space Agency. I saw various documentaries regarding the achievements of this agency in the past few decades.



Since it was not a preplanned trip, I could not wait for cheap tickets to Houston. Being a busy route many major airlines such as Air France, British Airways etc are plying flights to Houston in this area. Hence the city is well connected with rest of the world and I was lucky enough to fly in one of the cheap flights to Houston.

After reaching there I was quite busy for two three days solving the issue. Long discussions and negotiations have lasted till midnight and hence I could not visit the city. After the third day, I got relieved a bit and I used the evenings to visit many places in the city.

The first place I have visited was the Port of Houston. It is the largest port in US and the tonnage of the material being shipped from this port is more than that being done in any other ports in US. There is a small town ship around the port and most of the residents are living up on the port doing some odd jobs connected to the port. There you have a good chance for shopping too. There I saw many wayside vendors who were selling food articles and souvenirs. I have purchased some good handicraft pieces as a souvenir of my trip to Houston.

Houston is most visited by foreigners during events such as Car Art Parade and Houston Live stock Show. There are many events which attracts a large number of visitors. The city has many venues for performing arts too where different cultural activities are being conducted throughout the year. Thus the life in Houston is always busy and the visitors are enjoying the crowd too.

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PJ Hotel Review - Seoul, South Korea

Traveling with two friends and having to fit three in a room can be challenging when it comes to searching for a hotel, often it means two have to share a bed while one is lucky enough to have their own.  With PJ Hotel they had arrangements and rooms which are perfectly suited for sharing, even when there is more than two of you.

I was highly impressed by the rooms which are large and spacious. Having three single beds meant we all could have our own sleeping space. In addition, there is a small entry hall to leave shoes or jackets, a large bathroom with separate glass shower and separate bathtub, and the obligatory electric toilet seats founds in most of Asia (I especially like the heated seat). Particularly nice is a small elevated living space with low table and chairs, an air cleaner, Nespresso coffee maker and coffee capsules, electric kettle and tea (though hot and cold water can also be obtained in the hall area just outside the rooms),  safe, and a small fridge supplied with three bottles of water.

As well as a 32 inch HD flat screen TV in the bedroom, the living area also had a small 19 inch TV for separate entertainment. Wifi also enabled and ready to use throughout the hotel, free.

This four star hotel really did deliver comfort and quality, exceptionally well. I wouldn't hesitate to stay again as it is nicely located within walking distance of historic sites and attractions, as well as shopping and unique markets and streets founds near its steps.

Hotels

PJ Hotel Seoul - Check rates and read reviews at Tripadvisor.com

PJ Hotel Seoul - reserve and pay only when you stay at Booking.com

VIP Lounge Pisa Airport - Review

Access to a lounge before a flight can always enhance the experience of travel, however the VIP Lounge at Pisa airport isn't anything worth returning to, the decor dated, it reminded me of someones living room from sometime in the 1970s.

The seats were narrow and uncomfortable, something you wouldn't want to spend much time on. The plastic seats in the departure area were wider and flexible than those found in this VIP Lounge.

Snacks are limited but at least a good selection of drinks were available as well as excellent coffee for the boosting power of espresso to jolt you on your way.

Not the worst lounge I've been to (that prize goes to the one in Havana Airport), VIP Lounge at Pisa airport is at least a quiet place.

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Nh Cavalieri Hotel Review - Pisa Italy

Steps from the main railway station and only 1km from Pisa airport, and a short walk to the old town centre and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This four star hotel isn't exactly in the best area of town, but it is convenient.

However, the four star rating is exaggerated as it fails to deliver. Though comfortable, I left the hotel feeling let down by the service, a lack of attention, and poorly maintained in-room facilities.

Room 107 was a good size with two twin beds, high ceilings, patio doors with small balcony overlooking the square of the Pisa Central train station. The bathroom was large and clean, a good selection of soap and shower gels. A good size closet, and small desk made this a decent room overall.

The TV turned on, but had no channels or 'no service available at this time' the entire stay. The mini bar fridge wasn't working, leaving me with a selection of overpriced warm drinks. One of the two lamps by the bed did not function. No extra outlets for charging mobiles or electronic devices, except in bathroom where a spare plug for electric shaver was available.

Reception and hallways were modern and clean. The breakfast was a good selection for a hotel in Italy, but nothing exceptional.

Nh Cavalieri served its purpose, but am disappointed the hotel fell short of expectations for a 4 star, but this is Italy where most things are generally over-rated, I shouldn't have expected the quality of Nh Hotels, at least not in Pisa.

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NH Cavalieri - Check rates and read reviews at Tripadvisor.com

NH Cavalieri - reserve and pay only when you stay at Booking.com

Top Gambling Getaway Destinations

In collaboration with James Guill.

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Casino de Monte Carlo

Gambling getaways have been growing in popularity with tourists over the last few years as many of the social stigmas around gambling have become relaxed. As such, tourists are always looking for the best spots to vacation and get their gamble on. Below are our picks for the best gambling getaway destinations.

Las Vegas

The top gambling destination in the United States is easily Las Vegas, NV. Known as Sin City, Vegas offer any type of gambling and almost any type of entertainment that tourists would want.

Not including establishments with just slots and video poker, Las Vegas has 77 casinos spread out through the city. Twenty-nine of those are located on the Vegas strip and include the Bellagio, Venetian, and Wynn.

With so many casinos, many offer low cost options for those looking for budget gambling getaways. With a little research you can find discounts on everything from hotels to entertainment.

Monte Carlo

If you've ever seen the classic James Bond movie Casino Royale, then you have seen
one of the most elegant casinos in the world. The Casino de Monte Carlo is located in
the heart of Monaco and is the oldest of all European casinos.

Built in 1863, the Monte Carlo is famous for its classic architecture as well as its
sophistication. A dress code is enforced here and at night patrons dress exactly as you would find them in Bond films.

This casino is a great place to experience the life of a high roller, but without having to have the bankroll of one.

Macau

Macau has quickly grown to become the top gambling destination in the world. In fact,
their revenues have grown at such a dramatic rate that they have surpassed Las Vegas as the top casino destination in the world.

At present there are 33 casinos in Macau with a large number of them running under a
government franchise. In recent years, large casino companies have been allowed to build in Macau, and one of those companies constructed the largest casinos property in the world.

The Venetian Macau has a casino with over 500,000 square feet in gambling space
and the property takes up 10.5 Million square ft in total space. In addition to casino gambling, there are plenty of options for patrons that include hit shows, live music, and more.


The Venetian Macau

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Happy Nations - World Happiness Report

As if the United Nations didn't have more pressing matters to deal with, in April 2012 they commissioned the World Happiness Report, which reviews the state of happiness in the world today.

The report reflects a new worldwide demand for more attention to happiness and absence of misery as criteria for government policy.

These are the results of the first ever World Happiness Report 2012.

The World Happiness Report

1. Denmark
2. Finland
3. Norway
4. Netherlands
5. Canada
6. Switzerland
7. Sweden
8. New Zealand
9. Australia
10. Ireland
11. USA
12. Costa Rica
13. Austria
14. Israel
15. Belgium
16. Luxembourg
17. United Arab Emirates
18. United Kingdom
19. Venezuela
20. Iceland

View World Happiness Report
Download PDF of World Happiness Report