Istanbul, visited by more than 12.5 million tourists each year, became the 5th favorite destination in MasterCard's 2015 Most Popular Destinations list that covers 132 cities and is issued depending on annual travel information. Particularly thanks to the shopping festival, the increasing number of voyages and different activities arranged for tourists, Istanbul has become one of the most visited destinations.

On the list, which lists the cities according to nightly accommodation and travel expenses, Istanbul was one of the 10 cities in which tourists spend the most amount of money. While London still remained the first for the second time this year, Bangkok dropped to second place. London's and Bangkok's leadership competition for the last five years was one of the most striking points on the list. Paris and Dubai came next on the list after London and Bangkok.