Bangkok edges out London to become most popular travel destination

Bangkok has edged out London as the world’s most popular air travel destination, becoming the first Asian city to earn the distinction, according to a ranking by the MasterCard Index of Global Destination Cities.

If all of the top 10 cities maintained their current growth rates, the index predicted that by 2016 Bangkok and London would be followed by Istanbul in the No. 3 spot, with Paris at No. 4 and Dubai at No.5, with Singapore and New York behind them.

A look at the rankings: