Pop Goes The News – Two Canadian destinations have returned to this year’s list of the World’s Top 100 Cities for tourists.

The report prepared by Euromonitor International looks at the annual number of international arrivals to 400 cities around the world.

On this year’s list, which is based on data for 2018, Toronto remains at No. 53 for the second consecutive year and Vancouver rose one spot to No. 69.

“Arrivals are defined as … any person visiting another country for at least 24 hours, for a period not exceeding 12 months, and staying in paid or unpaid, collective or private accommodation,” the report explains. “Each arrival is counted separately and includes people travelling more than once a year and people visiting several cities during one trip.”

According to the report, Toronto recorded 4.7 million arrivals in 2018, up from 4.5 million in the previous year while Vancouver’s arrivals went from 3.2 million in 2017 to 3.4 million last year.

The report noted Canada’s “natural offerings, cultural diversity and quality infrastructure” – as well as an increase in direct flights – as reasons for the growing number of visitors. Still, 70 per cent of arrivals were from the U.S.

Among cities in the Americas, Toronto and Vancouver rank seventh and eighth respectively. Leading the way is New York City followed by Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Cancun and Orlando.

Las Vegas was the only U.S. city on the Top 100 list to report a decline in number of arrivals, which the report blamed on economic factors and fears following a mass shooting at a music festival there in October 2017.

Globally, New York ranks eighth behind Hong Kong, Bangkok, London, Macau, Singapore, Paris and Dubai.