Bucharest – the first place among the cities with the greatest development potential in Europe

By Andra Beltz
The capital of Romania ranks among the cities with the highest development potential, maintaining for the second consecutive year the first position among destinations in Europe, according to the Global Mastercard Index of Urban Destinations 2019, published on Monday.
Overall, the Index indicates that since 2009 and so far, the number of tourists who have resorted to accommodation services has increased by 76%, informs Agerpres.
According to the results of the study, the city of Bucharest registers a 10.3% percentage in terms of the development potential, among the cities of Europe. 1.4 million tourists turned to accommodation services in Bucharest last year.
In the second place, at the top of the cities with the highest development potential is Lisbon, with a percentage of 10%. The podium is closed by Tel Aviv – with a 9.1% share as development potential.
Also included in the Global Mastercard Index of Urban Destinations 2019 are Moscow, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Budapest, Santa Cruz de Palma, Copenhagen, and Istanbul.
Worldwide, the Index reveals that Bangkok remains the destination no. 1 in the world, with over 22 million tourists resorting to accommodation, while Paris and London occupy 2 and 3 places, both exceeding 19 million accommodated tourists.
The forecasts for 2019 indicate a general increase, especially for the capital of Japan, Tokyo, the city where the most significant increase in the number of tourists is expected.
The Global Mastercard Index of Urban Destinations ranks the cities according to the total number of tourists resorting to accommodation services and the cross-border expenses incurred by the same tourists during 2018, while also providing forecasts on the growth potential of the number of tourists calling on accommodation services for 2019.
The study’s authors mention that it is not based on volumes or trading information of Mastercard. The forecasts are based on the weighted average of the national tourism forecast and the effective monthly data at the city level for 2019, available until the last month before launch.