How Dubai went from the golden city to the city of records
Dubai is the largest city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is located on the country’s northern coastline. Now that we have located the most populous city in the UAE, you would probably like to know more about Dubai? If so, read on as there is lots to know.
For instance, did you know that Dubai holds the world record for being the city with the most world records? From the world’s biggest mall to the world’s most sustainable city, the list is impressive. It also holds the world’s most luxurious hotel and the tallest building as well. This is just a small sample of the most interesting world records Dubai holds. Perhaps we could rename it as the city of records?
Dubai has retained its crown as the most visited city in the Middle East and landed sixth in the world in the latest global ranking of tourist destinations, according to the Euromonitor International Top City Destination Ranking for 2017. The city is benefitting from years of extensive investment in state-of-the-art and world-leading infrastructure, luxury shopping, hotels and entertainment. Dubai has developed a unique culture in which global traditions, attitudes, customers, religions and lifestyles have merged harmoniously, while still priding itself on its Arabian roots.
But this week ATM Dubai, the leading travel and tourism event in the region, has become the center of attention because it has gathered the crème de la crème of the travel industry. This is because this year’s ATM is the first where all three of the Hotelbeds Group wholesale brands –including Hotelbeds, Tourico Holidays and GTA –- participated together on one stand.
During the 5-day show, we announced Dubai as one of the world’s most visited cities and top destination in the region by a considerable margin, accounting for 65% of the Group´s total room nights in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi and Doha follow in the second and third position respectively. According to our booking data, Indian travellers visit Dubai the most, followed by United Arab Emirates (UAE) residents, Saudi Arabians and then Spanish nationals; the source markets that have registered the strongest year-on-year growth in bookings are, in ascending order, Spain, China, Germany and the USA.
This city of high-rises and shopping malls has transformed itself from a desert outpost to a destination du-jour, where tourists flock for sales bargains, sunshine, and family fun. Our Hotelbeds Group bedbank platforms offer a wide range of options to many travelers when choosing the capital of the Emirates. Dubai is famous for sightseeing attractions such as 4x4 Evening Desert Safari, Burj Khalifa (which, at 829.8 meters, is the tallest building in the world) and the cruise along Dubai Creek (Dhow Cruise).
Having mentioned all those amazing achievements, what are the future plans for the city?
Dubai is the only Middle Eastern city in the top ten most visited globally and is expected to attract more than 26 million visitors by only 2025, overtaking London, which is currently in third place. The city’s rise to popularity is thanks to the integrated approach by all the travel industry players. The city also has plenty of plans to drive domestic tourism and the important family holiday segment further. The expansion of mid-market lodging options, together with the upcoming Dubai Expo 2020, will encourage tourism growth further still.
For many record breaking is addictive and Dubai doesn´t seem set to quit anytime soon. Could we see an Olympics or World Cup in Dubai? For now it certainly seems the sky is the limit in the golden city of records.
