Dubai has come second in the 2022 Top 100 City Destinations Index by Euromonitor for two years in a row while retaining its top position in the regional list.
The UK-based market research company takes into account tourism policy and performance, sustainability, infrastructure, technological advancement, and economic performance.
Paris continued to hold the top position, closely followed by Dubai.
The top 10 rankings see the hegemony of European destinations, with only Dubai and New York challenging the status quo this year, according to Euromonitor.
The strong rebound of international tourism, which is projected to register 112 per cent growth in 2022 in terms of inbound spending, has been one of the key factors behind the resilient recovery of global cities.
Intra-regional travel, an easing of travel restrictions and value-driven tourism further boost their appeal. Preferences for domestic travel and short-haul flights are defining consumer behaviour when choosing where to holiday.
In 2022, 14 destinations from the Middle East and Africa feature in the Top 100 City Destinations Index, compared to 16 in 2021. The leaderboard remains unchanged year-on-year, with Dubai cementing its first place for a second consecutive year in the region, whilst ranking second in terms of overall Index performance.
Dubai has had a stellar 2022 following the revival of the MICE tourism segment post-pandemic and Expo 2020 Dubai.
The cities from the region perform best in terms of health and safety, economic and business performance and tourism performance pillars.