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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
Visitors ride the 'Battlestar Galactica' duelling roller coaster at the Universal Studios theme park in Singapore.

Despite the persistent weakness of constrained demand in the global economy, international travel is growing strongly, according to MasterCard's Global Destination Cities Index.

Let's take a look at 20 cities, including two from India, that saw biggest growth in international visitor arrivals from 2009 to 2013.

Source: MasterCard's Global Destination Cities Index

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
Visitors cross part of a 260-metre Anian cable bridge, one of five major bridges in ancient China, over Minjiang River at Dujiangyan, 50km north of Chengdu.

Chengdu

Country: China

Growth rank (2009-2013): 1

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 285.0 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 60

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
Kingdom Tower in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh

Country: Saudi Arabia

Growth rank (2009-2013): 2

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 219.4 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 19

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
Tourists leave after visiting Independence Square in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Colombo

Country: Sri Lanka

Growth rank (2009-2013): 3

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 122.9 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 76

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
A view of Bandra-Worli sea link bridge in Mumbai.

Mumbai

Country: India

Growth rank (2009-2013): 4

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 113.3 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 29

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
A customer walks into a restaurant shaped like an aeroplane in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. The theme restaurant called 'shooting into the sky' serves Western food as well as hot pot.

Nanjing

Country: China

Growth rank (2009-2013): 5

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 97.1 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 56

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
A view of Abu Dhabi skyline in the United Arab Emirates.

Abu Dhabi

Country: The United Arab Emirates

Growth rank (2009-2013): 6

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 96.8 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 61

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
Statue street performers pose as cleaning workers at Fatahilah museum park in Jakarta's old city in Indonesia.

Jakarta

Country: Indonesia

Growth rank (2009-2013): 7

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 94.1 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 77

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
Taipei 101 building in Taiwan.

Taipei

Country: Taiwan

Growth rank (2009-2013): 8

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 82.7 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 18

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
An aerial view of Peru's capital Lima.

Lima

Country: Peru

Growth rank (2009-2013): 9

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 79.7 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 57

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
Tourists ride on a 'Kalesa', a horse drawn carriage, in Manila's historic Intramuros also known as 'Walled city' in the Philippines.

Manila

Country: The Philippines

Growth rank (2009-2013): 10

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 72.9 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 53

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
The 610-metre high Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower, left, in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

Guangzhou

Country: China

Growth rank (2009-2013): 11

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 70.6 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 22

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
A skytrain in Bangkok, Thailand.

Bangkok

Country: Thailand

Growth rank (2009-2013): 12

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 65.2 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 1

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
An aerial view of high rise buildings at the financial district in Singapore.

Singapore

Country: Singapore

Growth rank (2009-2013): 13

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 63.5 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 4

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
A tourist rides a cable car above old buildings, which date back to the 1920s and 1930s, in the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen.

Xiamen

Country: China

Growth rank (2009-2013): 14

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 63.0 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 67

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
High rise commercial and residential buildings in Shenzhen, China.

Shenzhen

Country: China

Growth rank (2009-2013): 15

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 60.9 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 36

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
A view of Ipanema neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Rio de Janeiro

Country: Brazil

Growth rank (2009-2013): 16

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 59.6 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 71

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
A view of downtown Kiev, capital of Ukraine.

Kiev

Country: Ukraine

Growth rank (2009-2013): 17

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 58.8 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 64

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
An aerial view of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City

Country: Vietnam

Growth rank (2009-2013): 18

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 57.2 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 41

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
Fishermen pull their net from the waters of Bay of Bengal in Chennai.

Chennai

Country: India

Growth rank (2009-2013): 19

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 56.1 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 66

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Two Indian cities saw biggest growth in tourist dollars

Last updated on: June 5, 2013 13:14 IST
Cityscape of Johannesburg in South Africa.

Johannesburg

Country: South Africa

Growth rank (2009-2013): 20

Growth percentage in 2009-2013: 53.6 per cent

Rank by arrivals in 2013: 42