Dubai is the world’s second-best and most attractive city destination to visit, according to Euromonitor’s annual Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023.
The emirate stands out for its highly conducive business environment, strong international travel demand, consistent development of infrastructure and creative marketing campaigns, among others.
Euromonitor International’s report Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023 compares 55 metrics across six key pillars. They are economic and business performance; tourism performance; tourism infrastructure; tourism policy and attractiveness; health and safety; and sustainability.
Vitalij Vladykin, senior research manager at Euromonitor, said the emirate is widely recognised for its strong economic and business performance.
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“Dubai also stands out for its exceptional performance in terms of international travel demand, being a magnet for both returning and first-time international tourists, as well as those seeking a stopover experience. The city actively fosters a conducive business environment and consistently invests in its tourism infrastructure, ranging from expanding airport capacity to developing new attractions.
“Creative marketing campaigns and a simplified visa regime further enhance the city’s attractiveness. Dubai puts efforts to improve its position in terms of sustainability standing. The city actively integrates sustainable practices and targets, evident in initiatives such as the ‘Year of Sustainability’ and the introduction of a ‘Sustainable Tourism’ stamp for hotels,” Vladykin said in a statement to Khaleej Times on Friday.
Globally, Paris remained the world’s most attractive city, followed by Dubai, Madrid, Spain, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, New York, Barcelona and London.
International trips
Global market research company expects 16.8 million international trips in 2023, an increase of 18 per cent from the previous year, ranking the emirate third after Istanbul (20.2m) and London (18.8m). The other top cities are Antalya, Paris, Hong Kong, Bangkok, New York, Cancun and Makkah.
“Consumers are expected to look for value for money travel propositions when booking travel. This, in turn, will drive consumer demand for intraregional travel, especially as travel purchases are frequently discretionary. Travellers will continue to favour authentic and local experiences in addition to sustainable tourism alternatives,” said Popova.
International travel has continued to make a strong recovery in 2023 with 38 per cent growth in terms of a number of trips, projected to reach 1.3 billion by the end of the year. An important milestone for the recovery of the industry in 2023 has been the return of Chinese international travel, following the removal of the governmental quarantine. Global tourism spending is set to reach $1.7 trillion in 2023,” Euromonitor said.