Dubai named as one of world’s top destinations by TripAdvisor

Dubai came in at number 17 on the list, beating Chicago, Cape Town and Sydney, while Istanbul was named top destination.

The water show at the Dubai Fountain was one of many attractions that put Dubai in the top-20 of the world’s destinations. Scott Olson / Getty Images

Dubai has been named one of the world’s top-25 destinations by the world’s largest online travel website, TripAdvisor.

The emirate won a place in the Travellers’ Choice Awards for its breathtaking combination of city, desert, coastal and cultural attractions.

Dubai’s portal on the website highlights 646 events, activities and attractions, including the dancing fountains, the historic Creek area and the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding.

Issam Kazim, chief executive officer at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said making the list was an honour, but there is much more work to do.

“The year 2013 was successful for the emirate, which saw further hotel and attraction openings, new events and milestones, such as the announcement of our Vision for Tourism 2020 and the winning Expo 2020 bid.”

Mr Kazim said that “such awards confirm that hard work pays off, although there is still a lot of work to be done”.

“This year we’ve already seen the launch of the Dubai Food Festival, a range of world-class events in music, culture and sport and more hospitality openings. Awards such as this show the global recognition of Dubai as a must-visit destination,” he said.

The Travellers’ Choice Awards highlight the most popular destinations in the world based on the impressions, experience and reviews of millions of travellers from around the world.

Dubai came in at No 17 on the list, beating Chicago, Cape Town and Sydney, while Istanbul was named top destination.