Planning a trip to Bangkok this year? If so, you're not alone. The Thai capital tops MasterCard's new ranking of the world's most visited cities, with nearly 16 million tourists expected to see the city this year.
"Bangkok -- already home to the world's two most-photographed locations on Instagram -- is now the most visited city in the world by international tourists, according to the new Global Destination City Index, eking out London by less than one percent," reports Derek Thompson. Jake Maxwell Watts attributes the city’s popularity to its luxury malls, which attract China's growing tourist population.
"A map of global tourism spending is really a map of people and money," says Thompson. "Southeast Asian tourism has exploded with the growth of the region's upper-middle class. Chinese tourists have surged to 83 million per year, as Jake Maxwell Watts reports. Eleven of the 12 cities with the fastest increase in air travel connectivity are 'east and south of Istanbul,' reflecting the growth of wealth in Asia and its growing importance as a destination for businesses from the U.S. and Europe."
FULL STORY: The New #1 Tourist Destination in the World? It's Bangkok
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The World's Best City for Street Food Bans Street Food
The city of Bangkok, Thailand, is famous for its cheap and flavorful street food. City leaders, however, have decided that the city would be less appealing without street vendors.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
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U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
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AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
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City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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