Skip to content
TravelNews

Top tourism city crowned in new ranking

A man caused chaos on a flight from Paris to Detroit last Friday, forcing the plane to make an unexpected landing in Canada, where he was arrested.

Police say 34-year-old Ahmed Omar Aden was behaving disruptively and appeared to be drunk. According to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Corporal Jolene Garland and court documents, Aden's actions were so bad that the flight had to be diverted.

When the plane landed at Stephenville Dymond International Airport in Newfoundland, Aden was taken into custody by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Aden is now facing serious charges for jeopardizing the safety of the flight. A spokesperson from the Stephenville Provincial Court said these charges include interfering with the flight crew and making it difficult for them to do their jobs.

He appeared before a judge on Monday and will remain in jail until his next court date on Friday. His lawyer, Trevor Murphy, has declined to comment on the case.

Paris crowned world's most powerful tourism city

Paris, a city known for its incredible food, art, and fashion, has a new claim to fame. The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has named it the world's most powerful city for tourism.

This UK-based organization analyzed tourism spending in 2022 to determine which cities were attracting the most tourist dollars. But it wasn't just about how much visitors spent on hotels and attractions.

The WTTC also looked at how much money governments and businesses were investing in these cities to make them top tourist destinations. Paris, for example, is hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics. While they're not building many new facilities, they are investing heavily in infrastructure and security to prepare for the influx of visitors.

Thanks to these efforts, Paris raked in a staggering $35.6 billion from tourism.

The USA's tourism trio

The United States boasts three cities in the WTTC's top 10: Orlando, New York City, and Las Vegas. Each city attracts a different type of traveler: families flock to Orlando's theme parks, Las Vegas draws those seeking exciting nightlife and gambling, and New York City is a magnet for foodies and art enthusiasts.

Orlando emerged as the top earner in this group, bringing in $31 billion in 2022.

China's rising stars

China also has three cities in the top 10: Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. And other Chinese destinations are gaining traction. Sanya, a beach resort on Hainan Island, and Macao, known for its casinos, are ones to watch.

China is heavily promoting tourism now that its borders have reopened. Macao is particularly attractive to many tourists because it's the only place in China with legal gambling and has easier visa requirements.

The WTTC predicts that China will dominate the tourism rankings by 2032.

Other notable cities

The list also includes Tokyo, Mexico City, and London, which came in seventh, eighth, and ninth place, respectively.

Interestingly, some popular destinations didn't crack the top 10. Dubai and Doha, despite high tourism revenue, didn't score as well in other categories. Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Singapore also missed the mark, despite attracting big spending tourists.

Here's the full list of the world's most powerful tourism cities for 2022

  1. Paris, France
  2. Beijing, China
  3. Orlando, Florida
  4. Shanghai, China
  5. Las Vegas, Nevada
  6. New York, New York
  7. Tokyo, Japan
  8. Mexico City, Mexico
  9. London, UK
  10. Guangzhou, China

Comments

Latest