Miami is the city with the highest tourist-to-local ratio, a new study has revealed.
Research shows that for every 100 residents in the Florida city there are 1,641 visitors.
The No2 spot in the study’s tourist-to-local ranking is occupied by Las Vegas, which has a ratio of 993 visitors to 100 locals. The highest-placed UK city is Edinburgh, in fourth overall, with a ratio of 445 to 100, while London is 14th with 226 to 100.
Miami is the city with the highest tourist-to-local ratio, a new study has revealed. Research shows that for every 100 residents in the Florida city there are 1,641 visitors
The top-ranked UK city is Edinburgh in fourth with a ratio of 445 visitors to 100 locals. The city has a population of 500,000 but welcomes 2.4million international visitors each year
The research has been carried out by visa application and processing firm Official Esta, which analysed the number of international tourist arrivals in cities around the world and compared them with population data.
It found that top-ranked Miami has a population of 500,000 people but has 8.1million tourist arrivals each year.
And although Las Vegas has a higher population – 700,000 – there are fewer tourists than Miami with the gambler’s paradise welcoming 6.6million visitors each year.
Researchers found that Edinburgh has a population of 500,000 people and welcomes 2.4million international visitors each year.
They also note that London’s population is currently at 9.2million with a little over 20million tourists visiting each year keen to glimpse sights such as Big Ben, The London Eye and Buckingham Palace.
In third place is Dubai with a tourist-to-local ratio of 558 to 100, while Dublin takes fifth spot with a ratio of 427 to 100.
Graphics showing ratios of locals to tourists in cities around the world. The dark dots are locals and the white dots are tourists
The rest of the top 10 is made up of Hong Kong (sixth, 398 to 100), San Francisco (seventh, 392 to 100), Vienna (eighth, 329 to 100), Singapore (ninth, 316 to 100) and Washington DC (10th, 286 to 100).
The other U.S. cities that feature in the list are Boston (12th, 238 to 100), Los Angeles (16th, 179 to 100), New York (20th, 157 to 100), Seattle (25th, 95 to 100), Chicago (33rd, 57 to 100) and Philadelphia (40th, 40 to 100).
Meanwhile, three other UK cities feature in the list.
Birmingham is in 22nd place. It has a population of 0.8million and welcomes 1.1million visitors each year, giving it a tourist-to-local ratio of 132 to 100.
Manchester is in 36th place with a ratio of 52 tourists to 100 locals and Glasgow is 37th with 50 tourists to 100 locals.
The research has been carried out by visa application and processing firm Official Esta
Sydney is ranked 26th with a ratio of 85 tourists to 100 locals and Melbourne is 32nd, with a ratio of 62 to 100.
Bottom of the ranking in 47th place is São Paulo with just 10 tourists for every 100 residents. Just above, in 46th, is Mexico City (11 to 100) and Buenos Aires is 45th, with a ratio of 16 to 100.
Jayne Forrester, director of international development at Official Esta, said: ‘Booking a trip away to visit a new city or destination is always fun – the hustle and bustle of everyday life, experiencing new cultures and visiting tourist attractions are just a couple of reasons why people jump on a plane and pay hundreds and thousands to visit cities such as New York and Dubai.
London’s population is currently at 9.2million with a little over 20million tourists visiting each year keen to glimpse sights such as Big Ben, The London Eye and Buckingham Palace
Sydney, pictured, is ranked 26th with a ratio of 85 tourists to 100 locals
‘People expect busyness in New York – it’s the city that never sleeps, but not everyone wants to feel rushed off their feet on holiday.
‘Mexico City is still just as popular but has just 10 tourists for every 100 locals, so tourists won’t feel as overwhelmed when visiting and can take their surroundings in.
‘Visiting a city that is really busy can sometimes take away the exciting experience of being on holiday because you spend half of your time trying to battle crowds to see attractions or visit popular restaurants – so if you’re looking for something a little more relaxed why not try out some of the less busy, but equally as popular and exciting cities that feature in the study, like Seattle, which has just 95 tourists to every 100 locals.’