Dubai on ‘best cities for tourists’ list: Global tourism undergoing rapid shift

The Spectator Index, a media firm covering politics, economics, science, tech and sports, took to X on May 2 to announce the ‘best cities for tourists’ list (as per Mori Memorial Foundation). The entries don’t spark surprise as their performances speak aloud.

Dubai in the UAE occupies the fourth position on the list, just preceded by London, Tokyo and Paris. The top three cities have been ruling similar lists for decades, and Dubai is no stranger to such accomplishments lately. The emirate is at the forefront of global tourism.

Earlier this year, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed took to X to reveal that the city registered a record-breaking 17 million international visits in 2023 – the best-ever year for tourism and the first year ahead of pre-pandemic numbers.

Dubai registered one of the highest hotel occupancy rates of 77.4%. India, the UK, Saudi Arabia and Russia provided a large chunk of tourists to the city. The numbers support the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, aiming to double the size of Dubai’s economy soon.

DXB on list of busiest airports again

The megacity seeks to become one of the top three global cities. It is one of the main commercial, tourism and financial hubs of the Middle East. There are dozens of different nationalities here, demonstrating the true magic of Dubai.

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, Dubai International, DXB, is again on the list of busiest airports across the globe. It has become the second busiest airport, moving up five places from its position in 2022, highlighting the airport’s importance in the sector.

The rankings, from Airports Council International (ACI), are based on data collected from over 2,600 airports across at least 180 countries and territories. The airports on the list play an important role in global connectivity, commerce and economic development.

Expressing pride in DXB’s achievement, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, attributed the remarkable achievement over the past decade to collaborations with multiple airlines. He also noted the importance of improving the airport experience for travellers.

Emirate to have largest airport globally soon

But Dubai has done it again!  The latest developments suggest Dubai has approved designs for more passenger terminals at Al Maktoum International Airport, commencing construction of the building at a sizeable cost of Dh128 billion.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced on X that all operations at Dubai International are set to be soon transferred to the other airport, opening relatively more recently in 2010.

Once completed, Al Maktoum International Airport is envisaged to have a passenger capacity of 260 million, the highest around the globe. It is expected to be five times the size of the current Dubai International, to be able to accommodate 400 aircraft gates.

Global tourism undergoing rapid shift

The Airport Council International’s aforementioned preliminary top ten busiest airports for 2023 list highlights significant shifts driven by the resurgence of international air travel. The global total passenger forecast for 2023 stands close to 8.5 billion – a recovery of 93.8%.

It should be brought into focus that several factors propelled global air travel in 2023, including the anticipated benefits from China’s reopening and an increasing inclination towards travel despite notable macroeconomic conditions.

Furthermore, perennial leaders from the US continue to dominate the busiest airports list, but there are significant changes. For instance, Dubai International jumped to the second rank for the first time and Tokyo Haneda International Airport climbed from 16th to 5th spot.

The rankings underscore the crucial role these transportation hubs play in terms of connectivity and commerce. Airports continue to remain resilient despite challenges brought by the ever-evolving landscape of global travel.