DUBAI // Indian travellers prefer holidays in Dubai over vacations in places such as Bangkok in the Far East, making the emirate their top destination of choice, a survey shows.
The emirate took top spot in the first half of this year, unseating Bangkok from the position that it had held for two years in a row, according to a poll by Hotels.com.
Dubai was at the number two spot for Indian travellers last year, followed by Singapore, London and Hong Kong.
In the recent rankings, Bangkok, Singapore, London and New York are in the top five positions.
The survey, based on bookings and prices paid by the site’s customers, revealed global travel trends.
Pattaya and Phuket in Thailand are among the South-East Asian cities that attract Indian tourists.
The survey last year highlighted 16 new hotel properties and a new airport in Dubai.
It said tourists were attracted to the emirate’s “world-class facilities”, Emirates Airlines’s new routes, concerts such as Justin Bieber’s first show in the Middle East, and sporting events such as the Dubai World Cup.
Last year, Dubai was listed as the 14th most popular destination in the world, ahead of Madrid, Florence and Venice.
The emirate was included in a list of the top 15 foreign cities that attract American tourists.
London and Paris continue to dominate the list of the most popular global destinations for tourists.
Foreign tourists in India listed Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru and Chennai as among their top five destinations.
The city of Agra, famous for the Taj Mahal, had been in the ninth position, but it failed to make the top 10 this year, the website said.
rtalwar@thenational.ae
