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Hong Kong has been named the world’s most popular city destination for the sixth consecutive year, according to Euromonitor International.
London became the second most-visited city in the world, overtaking Bangkok and Singapore.
Almost 17.4 million people visited the UK capital in 2014, up 3.6% on the previous year, while the number of tourists to Hong Kong jumped 8.2% to 27.8 million.
But Euromonitor warned that London could lose its hold on the global tourist market if airport capacity is not increased.
“London is one of the most iconic cities in the world. The resounding success of the London Olympics in 2012 has boosted visibility and popularity even further,” Wouter Geerts, travel analyst at Euromonitor, told the Telegraph.
“However, with London airports nearing capacity, the capital risks losing out to European rivals. To remain competitive in the international city destinations landscape, ensuring connectivity and innovation is key.”
Singapore, Bangkok and Paris rounded out the top five despite receiving fewer travellers than in 2013, with declines of 0.4%, 7% and 1.9% respectively.
Rio de Janeiro was the biggest climber, attracting 47% more travellers than the year before as Brazil hosted the World Cup.
Athens also recorded double-digit growth, entering the top 100 along with two other Greek cities.
However, geopolitical tensions took their toll elsewhere in Europe, with St Petersburg and Moscow marking double-digit declines.
Despite London’s high position on the ranking, it was the only UK city to make the list of the 100 most-visited cities.