Dubai, a city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been ranked as the Most Popular Destination in the World by the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for destinations.
The city which is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations worldwide with its spectacular skyscrapers, beautiful beaches, and amazing attractions which have received a lot of attention, was identified based on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings specific to the award from travellers on TripAdvisor over the 12 months between November 2021 and October 2022.
The travel platform which annually releases its Travellers’ Choice Awards has in the past year spotted Dubai as ‘The Best of the Best Destinations’, amidst various entries from the Middle East, European stalwarts, and coveted tropical and desert getaways.
Dubai is the only destination to win the title for two years consecutively after London.
Sarah Firshein, the Head of Editorial at TripAdvisor said: “Above all, travellers are seeking out new adventures this year, and our Travellers’ Choice 2023 Destinations list reflects the very best places chosen by our devoted community.”
The Travellers’ Choice Awards are based on ratings of places to visit, stay at, and do while traveling, therefore to be ranked as the top destination in the world signifies that it has received excellent traveller reviews throughout all of its tourism sectors. Other listed include; Bali, Indonesia; London, United Kingdom; Rome, Italy; Paris, France; Cancun, Mexico; Crete, Greece; Marrakech, Morocco; Dominican Republic; Istanbul, Turkey.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai said the the top ranking by global travellers reflects the vision of the leadership to transform Dubai into the world’s top destination for tourism and business, as embodied by a key goal of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.
He noted that the Agenda’s objective of consolidating Dubai’s status as one of world’s top three cities for tourism and business signifies the leadership’s determination to mark Dubai out as a clear leader not only as a leisure and lifestyle destination but also as a hub for connectivity, commerce and investment.
He said: “Dubai’s diverse tourism attractions and hospitality offerings, combined with its emergence as a leading venue for global events and a magnet for talent and enterprise will continue to reinforce its status as a favourite among global travellers over the next decade. Dubai’s tourism, hospitality and events sectors have been at the forefront of a rebound and acceleration of global growth in these sectors over the last two years and will continue to play a key role in shaping their evolution in the future.”
On his part, His Excellency, Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said: “Being named the No.1 global destination for a second consecutive year reflects the significant work undertaken by the city’s many stakeholders, our strong public private partnership model, and Dubai’s global network of partners.”
The top TripAdvisor award is the latest addition to a series of international accolades bestowed on Dubai, demonstrating the city’s enduring appeal as a multifaceted destination. With more than 13,000 restaurants and cafes spread across the city, offering diverse cuisines for foodies and families, Dubai continued to win international recognition as a global gastronomy hub including the launch of the MICHELIN Guide Dubai and the arrival of renowned fine-dining restaurant critique guide Gault & Millau in 2022. Several of Dubai’s restaurants, chefs, and gourmet experiences were also recognised in the inaugural edition of the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2022.
Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “As a city that is always on the move, Dubai’s charm is its unique ability to surprise and delight both new and repeat visitors with its ever-growing diverse offering while keeping its authenticity and traditions intact.”
He added that the city’s focus for 2023 and beyond will be to drive and support growth through this mosaic of experiences, across all our tourism pillars from entertainment to shopping and cultural to culinary experiences.
As one of the most sought-after cities for international travel, business and events, Dubai’s significant resurgence throughout 2022 was further spurred by Expo 2020 Dubai with the hugely successful global event attracting over 24 million visits by the time it concluded on 31 March 2022.
In addition, Dubai’s annual calendar of festivals, leisure, sporting and business events including the Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Food Festival, Gulfood, the Dubai World Cup, World Government Summit, GITEX Technology Week, Dubai Desert Classic, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, Dubai International Boat Show and the Arabian Travel Market, to name a few, spurred a significant growth in tourism.
As it keeps pace with the rapidly evolving global tourism landscape Dubai is constantly introducing regulatory, infrastructure and travel initiatives to attract even more visitors from around the world. Dubai’s tourism momentum has continued to quicken, thanks also to the support extended by both domestic and international partners in showcasing the city as a destination that is safe, open and accessible.
According to the latest data published by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai welcomed 12.82 million international overnight visitors between January and November 2022, which surpasses the 6.02 million tourists that Dubai attracted for the corresponding period in 2021. During this 11-month period, 794 hotel establishments with over 145,098 rooms also opened their doors to guests, delivering strong occupancy levels of 73 per cent, which is among the highest occupancy rates internationally.
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