Dubai and Abu Dhabi are growing destinations
The Emirates are proving to be a top tourist destination, with strong growth reported in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
According to the MasterCard Index, Dubai is expected to welcome 8.8 million international visitors in 2012, up 15.3 per cent and pushing the city’s world ranking up to eighth from ninth in 2011.
London is the number one origin city for Dubai, accounting for over 800,000 of these visitors.
Another emirate city, Abu Dhabi, is the world’s fourth fastest growing destination city by visitor numbers with 17.9 per cent growth expected this year.
Commenting on these figures, Raghu Malhotra, division president for the Middle East and north Africa at MasterCard Worldwide, said Dubai and Abu Dhabi are “vital destination centres”.
“The ease of doing business in the United Arab Emirates, as well as the country’s exciting offering of hotels, entertainment, shopping and sightseeing are some of the factors that are driving this influx of visitors,” he explained.
Written by Erin Marshall
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