London surpasses Bangkok in the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index 2014.
Bangkok has lost its top spot in the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index 2014 to London this year under the ‘Most Visited City’ tag, owing to the long standing political unrest in Thailand till May this year.
Rampant protests in the streets and the attached unpredictability led to many countries issuing travel advisories to travelers, who inevitably avoided trips to the country. The index is an annual recognition of the top international destinations on the basis of business, cultural and economic importance.
As per the index, Bangkok suffered a fall of 16.4 million in international visitors, which is about 11 percent, while London saw an increase of 8 percent, replacing the city to from its top spot. In 2013, Bangkok had become the first Asian city to reach the top of the list in the index.
Paris occupied the No.3 spot with 15.6 million visitors, followed by Singapore (12.5 million) and Dubai (11.95 million).
Thailand army chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, was officially appointed prime minister today morning in a ceremony at Bangkok’s army headquarters. In a bid to restore democracy, General Prayuth led the coup against Yingluck Shinawatra’s civilian government in Thailand, succeeding finally on May 22, 2014.
With this change in leadership, many business leaders hope that Thailand’s economy will get the needed overhaul.
