Dubai has continued to cement its place as one of the most popular cities in the world for international travellers.
Over 16 million visitors are expected to have come to the city by the end of this year, which will make it the world’s seventh most visited place, according to the ‘Top 100 City Destinations 2019’ report.
The report was released on Tuesday by Euromonitor International, the worldwide market research company.
400 cities were reviewed by the report, which states that the 2019 tourist arrivals in Dubai will actually surpass those of many other cities, including New York, Rome, Los Angeles, Phuket and Barcelona.
However, even despite the continuing civil unrest, the most visited city in the world is still Hong Kong.
Euromonitor International says that a flat growth was experienced this year in regard to visitor arrivals by Dubai, yet 2019’s rankings continue to be dominated by the city.
This is partly because of large investment within the tourism sector in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates as a whole, and partly because of a greater focus on the delivery of tourism promotional initiatives such as two-day free transit visas for travellers.
The city’s tourism strategy has successfully attracted visitors from a range of new source markets including China, according to Euromonitor International’s senior analyst Rabia Yasmeen.
Tourism from more traditional source markets such as India and Saudi Arabia has also been sustained with strong marketing campaigns in those nations, Yasmeen adds.
The free two-day transit visa, increased Dubai airline routes via low-cost carriers, and the ‘visa on arrival’ policy have all proved major highlights of the review period, allowing Dubai to maintain its position as one of the leading global destinations.
The geostrategic location that Dubai holds within the Middle East is also a big driver of visitor traffic to the emirate.
That location has been successfully leveraged by Dubai together with its enduring determination to enhance local tourism, which is vital for the city’s economic growth, according to Yasmeen.
Dubai is a regional travel hub, and with a number of major infrastructure developments, it is able to draw visitors from all over the world by being a competitive and accessible destination.
Dubai also remains a leading option for the meetings, conferences, exhibitions and incentives segments thanks to facilities for business travellers that are the best in the region.
Dubai is expected to continue to stay in the top position in the Middle East for visitor arrivals, followed by Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which is the region’s second most important market.
Egypt’s position continues to strengthen, with Hurghada entering the top 100 list for the first time at 82, and Cairo rising to 42nd place worldwide.
The tourism reform programme is the reason why Egypt has made such a strong comeback, according to Euromonitor.
Anyone intending to travel to Dubai or anywhere else in the UAE or Middle East should make sure that they are first covered by travel insurance, which protects against financial losses caused by the likes of flight cancellations and lost luggage.
