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10. Istanbul, Turkey: Istanbul still makes the list, albeit lower than its previous No. 8 place. The city welcomed 9.16 million overnight international visitors in 2016 and expects 9.24 million in 2017. Click through the gallery to see which other destinations are among the top 10 most popular cities for international travelers.
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9. Tokyo, Japan: The Japanese capital received 11.15 million visitors in 2016 and is forecast to receive 12.51 million visitors in 2017.
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8. Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia: Home to the tallest twin towers in the world, the Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur received 11.28 million visitors in 2016 and expects to welcome 12.08 million in 2017.
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7. Seoul, South Korea: One of many reasons tourists are attracted to Seoul -- historic palaces. The city received 12.39 visitors in 2016 and expects 12.44 in 2017.
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6. New York City: New York is expected to draw 12.36 million visitors in 2017. With 12.7 million in 2016, it's the only city expected to see a year-over-year decrease in arrivals. It may get edged out of its No. 6 spot by Seoul.
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5. Singapore: The second most popular city in Asia with visitors, Singapore saw 13.11 million visitors in 2016 and is expected to see 13.45 million in 2017.
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4. Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai outshines its Middle Eastern neighbors in visitor arrivals. The city expects to host 16.01 million international visitors in 2017. It saw 14.87 million on 2016. It's also the top ranked global city for visitor spending.
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3. Paris, France: The City of Light continues to rank in the top three. It saw 15.45 million visitors in 2016 and expects 16.13 million visitors for 2017.
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2. London, UK: London has often topped the index, but the UK capital has been edged out the past two years by a top destination in Asia. In 2016 it received 19.06 million visitors. In 2017, it expects to welcome 20 million.
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1. Bangkok, Thailand: Political unrest has impacted visitor numbers in recent years, but they've been surging back since attracting 19.41 million visitors in 2016. In 2017, more than 20 million are expected.

Want to learn more about traveling to Bangkok? Read a collection of CNN Travel stories here.
CNN  — 

For the second year in a row, Bangkok is poised to be the most popular city in the world for international travelers.

The Thai capital is projected to welcome nearly 20.2 million international overnight visitors this year, according to a report by financial services corporation Mastercard.

Mastercard’s 2017 Global Destination Cities Index looks at visitor volume and spending to rank 132 top destination cities.

GALLERY: See the full top 10 cities

Before Bangkok’s two-year run in the No. 1 spot, London occupied the top ranking. London retained its No. 2 spot for the second year running, with projected arrivals topping 20 million in 2017.

Paris is in third place with 16.1 million visitors forecast. Dubai, coming in at No. 4, expects to see just over 16 million international visitors in 2017.

Singapore rounds out the Top 5 for arrivals, with nearly 13.5 million international visitors expected in 2017.

Dubai is at the top of the ranking for visitor spending. In 2016, its 14.9 million international overnight visitors spent $28.5 billion, with more than 10% growth forecast for 2017. New York and London rank second and third, respectively, in spending.

Across all 132 destination cities, international overnight arrivals have increased by more than 55% since 2009. That figure significantly outpaces GDP growth during the same period.

The report also ranks the top 20 fastest-growing cities from 2009 to 2016, with Japan’s Osaka topping the charts with a 24% annual growth rate over that period, followed by Chengdu in China’s Sichuan province at 22.7% and Colombo in Sri Lanka at 20.3%.

The index is not based on Mastercard transactional data. Public data is used in compiling the index.

Top 10 destination cities

1. Bangkok, Thailand – 19.41 million visitors in 2016 (20.19 million forecast for 2017)

2. London, England – 19.06 million visitors in 2016 (20.01 million forecast for 2017)

3. Paris, France – 15.45 million visitors in 2016 (16.13 million forecast for 2017)

4. Dubai, UAE – 14.87 million visitors in 2016 (16.01 million forecast for 2017)

5. Singapore – 13.11 million visitors in 2016 (13.45 million forecast for 2017)

6. New York, USA – 12.70 million visitors in 2016 (12.36 million forecast for 2017)

7. Seoul, South Korea – 12.39 million visitors in 2016 (12.44 million forecast for 2017)

8. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 11.28 million visitors in 2016 (12.08 million forecast for 2017)

9. Tokyo, Japan – 11.15 million visitors in 2016 (12.51 million forecast for 2017)

10. Istanbul, Turkey – 9.16 million visitors in 2016 (9.24 million forecast for 2017)