Dubai 'top tourist destination in MEA'
Dubai coninues to remain one of the most attractive tourism destinations in the Middle East and Africa, retaining its pole position in the region, a new report revealed.
Having welcomed over 15.96 million travellers in 2019 and expecting to cross 16 million in 2019, the UAE's position in the global ranking also stands strong at seventh position, according to global market research company Euromonitor International’s Top 100 City Destinations 2019 report.
"Despite experiencing a flat growth in 2018 in terms of visitor arrivals, the city will continue to dominate the rankings this year, thanks to greater investment in the tourism sector as well as in infrastructure, and more focus on delivering initiatives that promote tourism, such as a free transit visa for travellers for two days," it said.
The report shows Dubai racing ahead of New York City, Istanbul and Rome, with Dubai's tourist arrivals for 2019 expected to surpass these cities, among many others.
On the global front, Hong Kong is expected to retain its position as the world’s most visited city despite the ongoing political unrest.
Top 5 cities in the Middle East and Africa (arrivals in 2019)
1. Dubai: 16.3 million
2. Makkah: 9.8 million
3. Madinah: 8.8 million
4. Cairo: 6.8 million
5. Riyadh: 5.4 million
The Top 10 cities in the world (arrivals in 2019)
1. Hong Kong: 26.7 million
2. Bangkok: 25.8 million
3. Macau: 20.6 million
4. Singapore: 19.7 million
5. London: 19.6 million
6. Paris: 19 million
7. Dubai: 16.3 million
8. Delhi: 15.2 million
9. Istanbul: 14.7 million
10. Kuala Lumpur: 14.07 million - TradeArabia News Service