Punta Cana popular in 2017
Mastercard’s latest Global Destination Cities Index has found that, in 2017, the most popular city destination in the world in terms of concentration of visitors travelling there for leisure purposes – rather than business – was Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic.
The list is specifically for cities where at least 90 per cent of visits were for leisure reasons. Punta Cana came top, with 99.9 per cent of those travelling there doing so for purposes of relaxation. Cusco in Peru came next, with 98 per cent, followed by Djerba in Tunisia (97.7 per cent) and Riviera Maya in Mexico (97.5 per cent). Palma de Mallorca, Spain (97.2 per cent), Cancun, Mexico (96.8 per cent), Bali, Indonesia (96.7 per cent), Panama City, Panama (96.3 per cent), Orlando, US (94.1 per cent) and Phuket, Thailand (93 per cent) made up the remainder of the list.
“Travel allows us to broaden our horizons by exploring new places, people and experiences,” commented Francis Hondal, President of Loyalty and Managed Services at Mastercard. “The Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index: Play shows that special cities around the world are tapping into that trend and building a brand of fun, relaxation and enjoyment for like-minded travellers.”