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Dubai wins the title of city #1 among global destinations in Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2022

Dubai has been ranked number one in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2022, marking a milestone for the city in the new year and reinforcing its commitment to realising the 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 most visited destination and the best city to live and work in.

Dubai has been recognised as #1 on Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards global list as the best global destination, #1 in the world as a destination for city lovers and #4 as a destination for ‘food lovers’. Receiving these three awards is a significant achievement for Dubai, as the awards were determined by the quality and quantity of independent reviews and ratings by travellers on the destination, restaurants and entertainment over the 12 months from 1 November 2020 to 31 October 2021.

His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) commented, “Inspired by the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the city has adopted a multi-pronged pandemic strategy, including several initiatives that have further enhanced our global competitiveness and appeal as a multi-faceted destination. It is indeed a proud moment for Dubai to be recognised as the best global destination, confirming the decisive yet cautious measures Dubai has taken to safely navigate and accelerate out of this unprecedented global challenge.”

As one of the first destinations in the world to close, then open and remain open, Dubai has effectively dealt with the pandemic and taken an early initiative to lead the global tourism recovery, restoring tourist confidence and positioning the city as one of the safest destinations. Ongoing dialogue and collaboration between DET and stakeholders has ensured a coherent ecosystem in the collective promotion of Dubai as a must-visit destination, highlighting the diversity of offerings and reinforcing the message that the city is open and safe for domestic and international travellers. Dubai has also launched initiatives to ease barriers to entry for business and leisure travellers, as well as long-term accommodation initiatives that offer ways to engage more deeply and stay longer in Dubai. These include new visas and programmes such as the Golden Visa for investors, entrepreneurs and specialised talent, a five-year multi-entry visa for employees of multinational companies, and Virtual Work and Pension in Dubai programmes.

Tourism growth in Dubai is gaining momentum thanks to a vibrant domestic market and growing confidence within the industry and among travellers, especially with the rollout of vaccination and revaccination programmes around the world. According to the latest figures released by the DET, Dubai welcomed more than six million international tourists between January and November 2021, surpassing the 5.5 million tourists who visited Dubai for the entire year 2020.   During this 11-month period, 743 hotel establishments with more than 136,000 rooms also opened their doors to guests, delivering a high occupancy rate of more than 60 per cent, one of the highest rates in the world. Expo 2020 Dubai has also contributed greatly to raising awareness of Dubai and attracting more visitors to the city. Since opening on 1 October 2020, Expo 2020 has been visited by more than 10 million residents and travellers from around the world.

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