Based on the research, the top ten list of highest climbers are dominated by Asian and Australasian cities
Leading travel analytics firm ForwardKeys released the latest list of the most popular city destinations this summer, based on flight search data.
According to the study, Bangkok tops the most popular city list this summer, far outpacing the second most searched destination, Paris. Over 1.1 billion searches were analysed for the report, says ForwardKeys.
ForwardKeys says that among the top twenty, in order with their index values are Bangkok 100, Paris, 73, London, 72; Denpasar, 69; Barcelona, 68; New York, 61; Lisbon, 54; Istanbul, 52, Madrid, 52; Athens, 51; Palma Mallorca, 48; Singapore, 46; Tokyo, 45; Kuala Lumpur, 45; Amsterdam, 44; Copenhagen, 42; Los Angeles, 42; Rome, 39; Manilla, 34 and Frankfurt, 34.
The statement says that the analysis of ForwardKeys’ air ticketing database reveals some interesting current trends. Throughout the pandemic and at the start of the recovery, leisure travel to beach destinations has been in the lead. However, that is now starting to change. Compared to this time last year, summer flight bookings to beach destinations are 22 pc ahead, urban destinations are 42 pc ahead, nature destinations are 45 pc ahead and shopping destinations are the most ahead, up by 53 pc.
It adds that positions 21 – 100 also include Antalya, Berlin, Cancun, Cairo, Delhi, Dubai, Dublin, Ho Chi Minh City, Malaga, Marrakech, Miami, Milan, Punta Cana, San Francisco, Seoul, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Warsaw, Valetta, and Vienna.
Athens moved up one spot from 11th to enter the top ten, while New York moved up two spots from 8th in 2022 to 6th this year. Tokyo, up 53 spots to 13th, Kuala Lumpur, up 24 spots to 14th, Singapore, up 14 spots to 12th, and Manilla, up 8 spots to 19th were notable climbers that sprinted into the top twenty. Their rise is mostly attributable to the pandemic travel restrictions’ late easing, which sparked a spike in interest.
The search ranks are also contrasted with those from the previous year, showing changes in relative popularity. Bangkok has advanced three spots, knocking Paris off the top position. London continues to be in third place. Denpasar, the capital of Bali, moved up six spots to claim fourth place, knocking Barcelona to fifth, Lisbon to seventh, Istanbul to eighth, Madrid to ninth, and Palma Mallorca to 11th.
Based on the research, the top ten list of highest climbers are dominated by Asian and Australasian cities. The
Olivier Ponti
highest climber is Taipei, up 161 places to 56th. It is followed by Hong Kong, up 129 places to 39th, Seoul, up 56 places to 35th, Tokyo, up 53 places to 13th, Hanoi, up 41 places to 76th, Auckland, up 41 places to 103rd, Melbourne, up 31 places to 75th, Ho Chi Minh City, up 30 places to 52nd, Kuala Lumpur, up 24 places to 14th and Phuket, up 24 places to 57th.
“Congratulations to Bangkok on becoming this summer’s top of the travel pops. Its popularity is a clear sign that with the reopening of the Asian markets, we are about to see the first “normal” summer since the pandemic, with 19 mainstream Asian cities listed in the top 100. The Caribbean also deserves congratulations because it has managed to maintain its popularity in the face of greater competition from numerous other destinations which are now open again,” says Olivier Ponti, VP of Insights, ForwardKeys.
