According to its latest Top 100 City Destinations Ranking 2017, Kuala Lumpur was reported to have attracted 12.29 million international tourists last year, ahead of world-renowned cities such as Rome, Tokyo, Istanbul, Seoul, Miami, Barcelona and Shanghai.

Topping the list was Hong Kong with 26.55 million international tourist arrivals, followed by Bangkok (21.25 million), London (19.19 million), Singapore (16.6 million), Dubai (14.39 million) and Paris (14.39 million).

Rounding up the top 10 were New York City (12.65 million) and Shenzhen (12.57 million).

Euromonitor International is the world’s leading provider for global business intelligence and strategic market analysis.

Kuala Lumpur is expected to attract 12.8 million international visitors this year, charting 4.5% growth compared to 2016.

Johor Bahru meanwhile made it to the top 100 list, at 42nd spot, while Penang was listed as 63rd.