The top 20 global cities

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Southeast Asian tourism exploding with the growth of the region's upper-middle class, it is the rise of the Orient now. According to the new MasterCard Global Destination City Index, Bangkok has pipped London as the most-visited city in the world by international tourists. However, the foreign visitors still spend more in New York than in any other city by a wide margin. Eleven of the 12 cities with the fastest increase in air travel connectivity are "east and south of Istanbul," reflecting the growth of wealth in Asia and its growing importance as a destination for businesses from the U.S. and Europe.