Dubai named most popular destination of 2022, beats London, Bali

DUBAI: Dubai has beaten popular holiday destinations such as London, Bali and Rome to become the most popular destination for 2022, Gulf News reported.

In a list released by Tripadvisor, Dubai has taken the top spot, and is followed by London (UK), Cancun (Mexico), Bali (Indonesia) and Crete (Greece).

“Dubai is a destination that mixes modern culture with history, adventure with world-class shopping and entertainment,” Tripadvisor said.

“Catch a show at the Dubai Opera, see downtown from atop the Burj Khalifa and spend an afternoon along Dubai Creek exploring the gold, textile and spice souks.”

“If you’re looking for thrills, you can float above the desert dunes in a hot air balloon, climb aboard a high-speed ride at IMG Worlds of Adventure or skydive over the Palm Jumeirah,” it added.

Rome (Italy), Cabo San Lucas (Mexico), Istanbul (Turkey), Paris (France) and Hurghada (Egypt) completed the top 10 of the ‘Travelers’ Choice 2022: Popular Destinations World’ list.

Dubai is not the only GCC country in the list. Qatar’s capital Doha is placed 22nd.

Dubai’s high Covid-19 vaccination rates, strict implementation of precautionary measures such as sanitisation and social distancing, and ease of connectivity via flagship carrier Emirates have made it a popular destination.

Dubai welcomed 4.88 million visitors between January and October last year, with international visits in October alone crossing the one million mark.

Last month, Dubai International Airport (DXB) retained its position as the world’s busiest in December, with over one million more seats than the next busiest, London Heathrow, according to aviation consultancy OAG.

Dubai’s passenger capacity rose 15 per cent month-over-month to roughly 3.5 million seats in December as UAE welcomed thousands of visitors during its peak tourist season.

Following the opening of the final phase of Concourse A at Dubai International’s (DXB) Terminal 3, the world’s busiest international airport is 100 per cent operational. Visitors to Dubai exceeded 1 million during October, and DXB reached the important milestone of 1 million passengers per week in November, with origin-destination passengers reaching 94 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Dubai International has hit the 99 per cent mark. The target has been reached on its inter-connection network, with 198 destinations now covered through 89 national and international carriers operating their flights to over 90 countries.