SINGAPORE (Sept 26): Global payments company Mastercard Inc is forecasting the number of tourists visiting Kuala Lumpur to grow 7.2% this year, from 11.28 million in 2016.

According to its annual Global Destination Cities Index (GDCI) 2017 released today, Mastercard said tourist expenditure in KL is also projected to rise 4.5% in 2017, from US$7.22 billion last year.

"KL is a leader among Asia-Pacific countries for leisure tourism as 92.2% of visitors who entered the city in 2016 did so for leisure purposes," Mastercard Advisors senior vice president for Asia-Pacific Eric Schneider told a media briefing today.

The GDCI ranks 132 top destination cities, analysing international visitor volume and expenditure and was first launched in 2011.

Bangkok registered the most international overnight tourists in 2016, with 19.41 million, and the number is expected to grow by 4% this year.

"The rise of leisure and business travel across the region presents a vital imperative for governments and private stakeholders to invest in smart networks and infrastructures," Schneider added.

Globally, Kuala Lumpur ranked eighth on the list of highest international overnight visitors in 2016, with the majority of inbound travellers coming from China at 15.2%, followed by Thailand and Indonesia at 11.2% and 10.9% respectively.