SALT LAKE CITY (CNN) — Still one of the world's most vibrant cities despite astronomical living costs, it's no surprise London is the world's second most visited destination.

So what's the first?

The emphatic answer, says market researcher Euromonitor International, is Hong Kong. Attracting an impressive 27.77 million international tourists in the space of a year, the Asian city outstripped London's popularity to the tune of 10 million people. The influx, chiefly accounted for by mainland Chinese visitors, kept Hong Kong at the forefront of Euromonitor's annual Top 100 City Destinations survey for the fifth year in succession.

London, which last crowned the list in 2009, pulled in a mere 17.38 million, just ahead of Singapore at 17.09 million.

Euromonitor's list is compiled from data from 57 "core" countries, using national statistics and info from airports, hotels and other tourism industry sources. The company says the latest figures, from 2014, show geopolitical tensions and successful marketing campaigns sway tourist decisions. But, despite fluctuating fortunes for some key destinations, it says tourism remains an upward trend with all but a few cities improving on visitor numbers.

That said, Euromonitor warns of interesting times ahead for some of the main players.

It says Hong Kong's reliance on Chinese tourists is a weakness as their increasing affluence takes them further afield — a situation likely to be exacerbated by recent protests there against mainland Chinese travelers.

London's expensive reputation and the fact that its airports are nearing capacity could also see it losing out to European rivals, Euromonitor says.

As for Singapore, "limited natural attractions" and a reputation as a business, rather than leisure destination, could see it struggle to "remain relevant" against low-cost alternatives like Thailand.

Istanbul, currently ranked ninth, is identified by Euromonitor as "one to watch." It says the city could build on a year-on-year increase of 13.2 percent, although the emergent threat of ISIS could prove challenging.

Here are the 15 most-visited tourist destinations in the world:

Hong Kong

Attracting an impressive 27.77 million international tourists in the space of a year, Hong Kong outstripped London's popularity to the tune of 10 million people.

London

London is Europe's biggest draw for international tourist arrivals, welcoming 17.38 million in 2014.

Singapore

With 17.09 million international visitors, Singapore was the third most visited city on the list.

Bangkok

Political troubles have dented Bangkok's popularity. It received 16.25 million visitors, down 7 percent in the previous year, causing it to drop from third to fourth ranking.

Paris

The City of Light held on to the No. 5 ranking, despite a 1.9 percent decline in visitor numbers to 14.98 million.

Macau

The casinos and theme parks that give Macau its nickname of the Las Vegas of the East have doubtless helped push it into the number six slot. The city drew in 14.97 million visitors.

New York City

During the recent big snowstorm along the East Coast, the streets were closed to traffic. On Monday, a man laid in the middle of 7th Avenue in Times Square, one of the most iconic tourist destinations in the world.

Instanbul

Istanbul, currently ranked ninth, is identified by Euromonitor as "one to watch."

Kuala Lumpur

Tenth-ranked Kuala Lumpur saw 11.63 million visitors, making it the sixth-ranked Asian city.

Dubai

Dubai is the Middle East's leader in arrivals, and its popularity seems to be increasing in step with the city's rapid expansion. It attracted 11.39 million in 2014, up 8.9 percent from 2013.

Seoul

Seoul welcomed 9.39 million international visitors in 2014. Perhaps the leap of 8.9 percent on the previous year was helped by pop star Psy's blockbuster homage to the city's swankiest neighborhood, "Gangnam Style."

Rome

Perennial European crowd-pleaser Rome ranked 14th, with 8.78 million international arrivals.

Taipei

Taipei's National Palace Museum is one of the world's largest. The city itself pulled in 8.6 million visitors.

Phuket

Unlike Pattaya, Thai coastal paradise Phuket managed to increase its visitor numbers -—up 1 percent to 8.1 million. That didn't stop it slipping two places on the previous year's ranking though.

Miami

Miami Beach boasts the world's largest number of Art Deco buildings. It's one of the attractions that helped lure 7.26 million international tourists.

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