Dubai voted Most Popular Destination in the World two years in a row
DUBAI is the only destination to win the title for two years consecutively after London.
The city is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations worldwide, thanks to its skyscrapers, beautiful beaches and amazing attractions, which have received attention across the globe.
The travel platform TripAdvisor annually releases its Travellers’ Choice Awards, and in the past year crowned Dubai as The Best of the Best Destinations, amid various entries from the Middle East, European stalwarts, and coveted tropical and desert getaways.
Sarah Firshein, 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 things to do while travelling; 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 destinations listed include Bali, Indonesia, London, UK, Rome, Italy, Paris, France, Cancun, Mexico, Crete, Greece, Marrakesh, Morocco, Dominican Republic, Istanbul and Turkey.
Helal Saeed Almarri, director general of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said: “Tourism is a central pillar of Dubai’s economic growth and diversification, and the continual investment in our product offering, a frictionless and superlative guest experience and the development of the sector and those working in it.’’
With more than 13 000 restaurants and cafés spread across the city, offering diverse cuisine 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 and North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2022.
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 March 31, 2022.
In case you’re planning a visit to one of the greatest cities, here’s a list of Dubai’s annual calendar of festivals, leisure, sporting and business events that have spurred significant growth in tourism: 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.