Dubai will continue to hold its position as one of the world’s most popular cities among international travellers.

By the end of the year, more than 16 million visitors are expected to visit the city, making it the seventh most visited place in global market research company Euromonitor International’s Top 100 City Destinations 2019 report, which was released on Tuesday.

The report, which reviewed 400 cities, states that Dubai’s tourist arrivals for 2019 will surpass those of New York, Rome, Barcelona, Phuket and Los Angeles, among many other cities. Overall, Hong Kong is expected to retain its position as the world’s most visited city despite the ongoing political unrest.

According to Euromonitor International, Dubai experienced a flat growth in 2018 in terms of visitor arrivals, but 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.

"Dubai's tourism strategy has been very successful in attracting visitors from new source markets such as the surge in arrivals from China, as well as sustaining tourist arrivals from traditional source markets such as Saudi Arabia and India, with its strong marketing campaigns in these countries," Rabia Yasmeen, senior analyst at Euromonitor International, told Zawya.com.

"The visa on arrival policy,  a free transit visa for two days and increased airline routes to Dubai via low cost carriers were a key highlight during the review period, which enabled Dubai to sustain its place among the leading destinations globally."
 
She said Dubai's geo-strategic location in the Middle East is also one of the major drivers for Dubai's visitor traffic.

"Dubai has successfully leveraged its location along with its continuous resolve to enhance its tourist offerings and proposition - as tourism holds key importance in Dubai's economic growth."

"With key infrastructure developments and being a travel hub in the region, Dubai draws visitors from across the globe being an accessible and competitive destination against many other popular destinations globally, together with the best-in-the-region facilities for business travelers which keeps Dubai a leading choice for the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions segment."

Regional ranking

Across the Middle East, Dubai is forecast to remain in the top position for visitor arrivals. It will be followed by Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the second-most important market in the region.

Egypt is strengthening its position, with Hurghada landing the Top 100 list for the first time at position 82 and Cairo climbing to the 42nd spot globally.

“Egypt made a comeback on account of its tourism reform program,” Euromonitor said.

Similarly, the UAE has seen a positive impact of diversifying visitor experiences to cities beyond Dubai,
such as Ras Al Khaimah, while other places in the region are also stepping up their tourism drive.

“There has been increased focus on enhancing tourism offerings from the Middle East and African continent, and countries are
working to market natural terrains and open new locations to keep the region competitive.”

“Leading cities with good infrastructure, such as Dubai and Riyadh, are investing in greater entertainment avenues such as
theme parks, concerts, health and wellness and medical tourism.”

The Top 10 cities in the Middle East and Africa (arrivals in 2019)

Dubai: 16.3 million
Mecca: 9.8 million
Medina: 8.8 million
Cairo: 6.8 million
Riyadh: 5.4 million
Jerusalem: 4.5 million
Johannesburg: 4.2 million
Dammam: 3.6 million
Marrakech: 3 million
Tel Aviv: 2.9 million

The Top 10 cities in the world (arrivals in 2019)

Hong Kong: 26.7 million
Bangkok: 25.8 million
Macau: 20.6 million
Singapore: 19.7 million
London: 19.6 million
Paris: 19 million
Dubai: 16.3 million
Delhi: 15.2 million
Istanbul: 14.7 million
Kuala Lumpur: 14.07 million

(Writing by Cleofe Maceda, editing by Seban Scaria)

(seban.scaria@refinitiv.com)

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