The 31 most popular cities in the world for travelers

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New York City attracted 13 million international tourists last year, but it wasn't No. 1 on the list.

• The list of the most visited cities in the world was released this week by market-research firm Euromonitor International.
• New York City saw more than 13 million international tourists last year, but it only finished No. 8 on the global list.
• Asian cities dominated the top 10, with one city attracting nearly 28 million international tourists.

Euromonitor International released its annual ranking of the most visited cities in the world this week, measuring the appeal of some of the world's most famous destinations to international travelers.

The UK-based market-research firm looked at 600 cities worldwide and ranked the 100 that attracted the most international tourists in 2017, and projected estimates for 2018 using part-year data.

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Seven American cities made the cut this year, led by New York City, which attracted more than 13 million tourists in 2017, good for eighth in the global rankings.

Meanwhile, Asian cities dominated the top of the list, comprising seven out of the top 10 most popular cities. One Asian tourism powerhouse retained its title for the eighth consecutive year, leading the world with nearly 28 million international visitors.

Read on to see the biggest urban tourism hotspots in the world: