Istanbul is the world’s 5th city in top destinations by international visitors in 2012 according to MasterCard report. Istanbul jumped to 5th ranking from the sixth place in 2011.

1. London. 16.9 mill

2. Paris. 16.0 mill

5. Istanbul. 11.6 mill

12. Rome 7.8 mill

13. New York 7.6 mill

17. Amsterdam 6.9 mill

Forbes described Istanbul as the fastest growing destination, putting it #5 on the list after London, Paris, Bangkok and Singapore.

Istanbul also increased its international visitor spending figures by 20.7% in 2012 compared to 2011.

In MasterCard report , it is stated that ‘Dynamic Istanbul has made huge strides in recent years and now ranks as the fifth most popular destination in the world’.