NEW YORK, Oct 26 — A newly released list of the world’s fastest growing tourism destinations is made up entirely of cities in Asia-Pacific, with China leading the charge. 

Analysts at the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) put together a ranking of the top 10 fastest growing tourism destinations based on travel and tourism GDP and found that six of the 10 cities are found in China. 

With 14 per cent growth predicted over the next decade, Chongqing in southwest of China tops the leader board, followed by Guangzhou (13 per cent) and Shanghai (13 per cent). 

Double-digit growth will make Shanghai an even bigger tourism powerhouse, as the city currently generates an annual tourism GDP contribution of US$30 billion (RM127 billion), the largest in the world, says the WTTC. 

Authors credit the explosive growth in China to domestic leisure and business travel, with rising prosperity and wealthier Chinese households fuelling travel demand. 

At nearly 6 per cent, the average growth rate for Asia-Pacific outpaces the average growth rate of 4 per cent a year at the global level. 

Along with driving up demand for domestic tourism, China is also a major source market for neighboring cities in the region like Tokyo, where nearly a quarter of tourism spending can be traced to Chinese visitors. 

China is Tokyo’s largest market. 

Chinese travellers also make up 38 per cent of tourist spending in Bangkok. 

Here are the fastest growing tourism cities according to the WTTC: 

1. Chongqing  2. Guangzhou   3. Shanghai  4. Beijing  5. Chengdu  6. Manila  7; Delhi   8. Shenzhen  9. Kuala Lumpur  10. Jakarta   — AFP-Relaxnews