Bangkok in Top Ten list of global cities for dining and shopping

MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index has published a survey on the dining and shopping (GDCI: Indulgences) spending patterns of tourists in various cities around the world. Bangkok was ranked third on the list of the Top Global Cities for Dining and sixth on the list of Top Global Cities for Shopping.

The GDCI: Indulgences survey is a part of the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index (GDCI). It ranks cities that tourists visited in the past one year. In 2018, the result indicated that Bangkok was the #1 Global Destination for the third consecutive year with Phuket and Pattaya ranked 12th and 18th, respectively. This has resulted in Thailand being the only country to have 3 cities in the Top 20 list.

Shopping at The Emquartier, Bangkok

In addition to the spending figures, the GDCI: Indulgences also indicate the economic implications that arise from such spending.

Visitor spending was 108 billion Baht (USD 3.38 billion) or 20.6 per cent of the total expenditure. Palma de Mallorca, Spain ranked #2 with a total of 121 billion Baht (USD 3.78 billion), ranked after the top-ranked Dubai with a spending of approximately 190 billion Baht (USD 5.94 billion). GDCI: Indulgences revealed Bangkok is also a popular city for shopping, ranked 6th worldwide, with tourists spending about 120 billion Baht (USD 3.75 billion), representing 23 per cent of the overall expenditure.