Dubai has been ranked second in the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2021 issued by Euromonitor, and is the only city from an emerging country to feature in the top 10.
The emirate also ranks highest in terms of Health and Safety among the top 10 cities in the index.
At the top of the index is Paris, followed by Dubai, Amsterdam, Madrid, Rome, Berlin, New York, London, Munich and Barcelona.
“The city has been open to international tourists since July 2020 and government efforts to mobilise and support the travel and tourism sector have been pivotal,” the report said.
Euromonitor cited the high vaccination rate and ease of process as a key reason for increased visitor confidence.
“The vaccination process is easy, vaccination rates are high and stringent safety measures are in
place for all public places and tourist spots. As a result, there is increasing visitor confidence among
international and local tourists to the city,” it said.
The emirate ranked high on the business front as well.
Dubai is the only emerging market city in the top 10 for economic and business performance, the report said. The city stood second in terms of labour and employment levels and fourth in terms of favourable demographic factors.
“Government support provided to the private sector has been pivotal in protecting against economic shocks. Its well-managed covid-19 crisis allowed for a much faster reopening of consumer services, such as retail and foodservice, and the organisation of physical events,” the report added.
Dubai also stood out in the sub-index for tourism performance, leading from the front in international tourist arrivals.
The emirate also stood first in the index for Middle East and Africa Top 10 City Destinations, followed by Abu Dhabi and Doha. Sharjah was placed fourth while Tel Aviv came fifth.
