The world’s most expensive cities

• The broad trend among the world’s most expensive cities was that average prices paid by travelers fell  between 2008 and 2009. Eight of the world’s ten most expensive cities saw average prices drop.

• The list of most expensive destinations is dominated by major European destinations, suggesting that
those U.S. travelers who can, are still willing to spend more on a longer break in Europe. Capri, Geneva,  Cannes, Venice and Paris all feature in the top 10 expensive destinations.

• Joining these European centers are the new Middle East travel powerhouse of Abu Dhabi, which enjoyed a combination of business and leisure patronage from U.S. travelers during the first half of 2009. Dubai,

however, dropped out of the top-10 most expensive centers following its financial collapse and the
pressure of the economic slowdown.