20 October 2016

Dubai has retained its position as the fourth most popular travel destination in the world – and the top-ranked destination in the Middle East – according to the eighth annual Mastercard Global Destinations Cities Index, which ranked 132 global cities.

It was a good result for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) overall as Abu Dhabi - with a growth rate of 19.81 percent – was rated the fastest growing city in the Middle East and Africa and the third fastest growing city worldwide.

This marks the UAE out as both the most visited and fastest growing country in the region for the second year in a row.

Bangkok topped this year’s list of the world’s most popular travel destinations, pushing London to second spot, with Paris and New York rounding off the top five.

“The findings of the Index show that Dubai is firmly entrenched at the high table of global tourism and travel,” said Eyad Al Kourdi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, UAE, Mastercard.

“Tourism remains the heartbeat of Dubai’s economy, and the steady rise in visitor numbers indicates how the emirate’s fascinating mix of iconic attractions is proving ever more compelling to today’s international traveler. With marquee events such as the Expo 2020 looming on the near horizon, one can expect the accolades to keep coming as Dubai looks to make further progress towards its goal of becoming the world’s most visited city within the next five years.”

For a full report on the highest ranking countries click here.

© Express 2016