Dubai beats New York to rank 5th Most Popular Destination in the World

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(World News) 9 years ago

Dubai beats New York to rank 5th ‘Most Popular Destination in the World’

Dubai has emerged as the fifth 'Most Popular Destination in the World' according to a new survey, beating New York and Istanbul to grab a place in the top five.

Now in its fourth year, the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index provides a ranking of the 132 most travelled cities from around the world.

According to the study, Dubai is expected to receive almost 12 million international visitors in 2014, an increase of 7.5 per cent since 2013.

This has helped boost the emirate ahead of New York and Istanbul - both of which ranked higher than Dubai last year.

The findings of the has seen Dubai climb up the ranks over the past four years with international travellers, advancing from its position at ninth place in 2011, to eighth in 2012 and seventh last year.

According to the Index, if current growth rates of Dubai, Paris and Singapore continue, Dubai is expected to overtake the other two cities within five years and secure its position as one of the top three global destinations.

Ranking high

London emerged as the top city to visit according to the study, projected to receive 18.7m international visitors this year.

Bangkok took second place with 16.42m, followed by Paris at third place with 15.57m visitors; Singapore came in fourth with 12.47m visitors projected.

Dr. Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, global economic advisor to MasterCard said in a statement: "We continue to see strong demand and interest in air travel, both for business and personal travel.

"Since 2009, cross-border air travel and associated spending has been growing faster than real world GDP. This continued growth of travel across borders reflects a continued interest and desire for new cultural experiences from all geographies, including consumers from emerging markets who now have the financial ability to pursue these opportunities."

Dubai also emerged as the top city in terms of international overnight visitors per resident, as well as the city that generates more international overnight visitor expenditure per resident than any other city $3,863.

It was also ranked as the fourth air hub in the world by international connectivity, representing a growth of 44.6 per cent in the last five years.

Dubai is the only city from the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region to on the top 10 air hubs list.

Raghu Malhotra, Division President, Middle East and North Africa, MasterCard said: "Dubai's rapid and sustained ascent in the Global Destination Cities Index reflects the emirate's growing international stature as a preferred business and leisure destination.

"Its world-class infrastructure, strategic global location, investment-friendly economy and cosmopolitan nature will continue to play a significant role in driving visitor growth."

Visitor profiles

According to the survey, the top five origin cities for visitors to Dubai are London, Riyadh, Kuwait, Jeddah and Paris.

International visitors from outside of the region are becoming more important for Dubai, currently accounting for 62 per cent of total arrivals.

In the Middle East and Africa (MEA), Dubai continues to retain its top rank for international overnight visitors. Other top cities in the region include Riyadh (5.6m), Johannesburg (4.3m), Abu Dhabi (2.1m) and Cape Town (1.6m).

At 14.2 per cent, Abu Dhabi continues to register the strongest visitor growth rate in the MEA region.

The UAE's capital also ranked fifth in for international overnight visitor spend.

Now in its fourth year, the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index provides an overview and ranking of the 132 of the most important global cities.

Regional highlights

The Asia-Pacific region emerged as home to half of the top 10 destination cities.

Bangkok, last year's number one destination, continued to pace Asia-Pacific despite an 11 per cent decline in visitors and slipped to second place this year on account of the political unrest in Thailand.

Singapore was identified as the leading feeder city across the region and took over the top spot for international visitor spending.

Meanwhile, in Europe London, Paris and Istanbul continue to represent Europe in the global top 10.

This year, 67 per cent of London's international visitors are from other European cities - a strong indication of the continent's strengthening economy, the Index indicates.

Barcelona and Amsterdam represent the remaining regional leaders, with Amsterdam climbing one place to 12th overall on the global rankings.

The North American region saw New York continue to outpace the group, serving as the sole representative on the global top 10 list.

Also unchanged from 2013 are Los Angeles, Miami, Toronto and San Francisco's position in the regional top five.

Chicago is forecast to be the fastest growing city in North America, both in terms of visitors and international spend this year.

Meanwhile, Latin America saw2 Lima built on its position as 2013's fastest growing city in the region, retaining the top spot on the Latin America line-up for the first time.

Punta Cana joins the list of top 20 as the number four destination city for visitors this year, displacing Caracas.
Mexico City, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires, all mainstays on the rankings, round out the regional top five.