Jun 14, 2012
Dubai has climbed to eighth place in this year’s list of the world’s top 10 tourist destinations, outranking cities such as New York, Kuala Lumpur, Barcelona and Rome. According to MasterCard’s Worldwide Index of Global Destination Cities, the emirate is up one place from ninth in 2011, proving that it continues to be one of the top choices for global tourism. London sealed first place for the second year running, followed by Paris, Bangkok, Singapore, Istanbul, Hong Kong, Madrid and then Dubai – the youngest of all the cities on the list.
Mastercard’s report also estimates that Dubai’s visitor spending will soar by 18.9% to reach $8.8 billion this year, spelling good news for the emirate’s thriving hotel and tourism industry. A total of around 8.8 million international tourists are also expected to flock to the city. This marks a rise of 15.3% in visitor numbers on 2010 and makes Dubai the fastest growing tourist destination in the region this year. With figures like these, Dubai’s hotel and tourism industry certainly look set to enjoy a highly profitable year.
Source: www.TheFirstGroup.com
