TripAdvisor, the world’s biggest travel platform, has named Dubai as the number one global travel destination in its “Travellers’ Choice Awards” for the second year in a row, cementing the Gulf city as the world’s topmost tourist spot.
This serves to support Dubai’s recently launched “Dubai Economic Agenda D33”, which aims to propel Dubai into becoming one of the world’s top-three destinations for business and tourism alike.
Dubai continues to gain global approval for its efforts to promote and bolster the city’s economic and tourist features, serving in the end to realize the Crown prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum’s dream of turning his city into the world’s most visited and livable place in the world.
The winners of the award are chosen by millions of tourists globally, whose honest reviews and opinions provide the basis for determining the winner, covering a 12 month period from November 1, 2021 to October 31, 2022.
Something for everyone
One of Dubai’s biggest events that put it in the spotlight was the Expo 2022 Dubai event, which brought over 24 million visitors by the time it concluded on March 31.
Other must-see events and festivals include the Dubai Shopping Festival, the Dubai World Cup, the Dubai Food Festival, Gulfood, World Government Summit, GITEX Technology Week, Dubai Desert Classic, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, Dubai International Boat Show and the Arabian Travel Market.
All of these brought in massive numbers of tourists from across the world.
According to Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, up to 12.82 million overnight tourists visited the Gulf city between January-November 2022, double the number it had in 2021 with 6.02 million tourists.
Over this period, 794 hotel establishments had 145,098 rooms booked, with up to 73 percent occupancy rates – the highest world-wide.
What Dubai has to say about its success
The Crown prince of Dubai Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum was honored by the selection, saying: “The top ranking by global travelers 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. 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 added that “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 favorite among global travelers 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.”
The Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) Helal Saeed Almarri 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 – all of which are aligned towards the guiding vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the city of the future and the world’s best destination to visit, live and work.”
“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, will not only serve to further accelerate industry growth but critically, will have a significant multiplier impact on many other elements of Dubai’s economic landscape and global appeal to businesses and talent.
“We also see this sector’s growth providing many opportunities for national talents to enter the industry and we will continue to provide an educational and training framework for their development as well as the wider industry’s continued advancement,” he added.
“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 recognized in the inaugural edition of the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2022.
The CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) Issam Kazim said: “Inspired by our visionary leadership, Dubai continues to take significant steps to ensure it remains at the forefront of global tourism and this award only seeks to motivate us further and drive us to work harder to stay ahead in the coming years.
“Retaining our position as the No. 1 destination in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards is a just reward for the efforts to continuously innovate and adapt to the evolving nature of travel, build out exceptional guest experiences at every touchpoint and effectively tailor Dubai’s offering for different needs and segments. 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.”
“We have successfully taken these messages to the world by bringing the destination to life through a series of global campaigns with the support of over 3,000 partners worldwide, providing international audiences an exciting insight into the city’s most iconic landmarks such as the Museum of the Future and unique hidden locations. Our 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.”
