Emirates has topped YouGov's UAE Travel and Tourism Rankings for 2022.
The Dubai airline scored the highest in the Brand Index, which measures public perception of travel and tourism brands among UAE residents. The list ranks residents' approval of brands, but is not limited to UAE companies.
Emirates tops the list from global public opinion and data company YouGov, with an Impression score of 63.3.
The airline responded to travel demand in 2021 by rebuilding its network to 90 per cent of its pre-pandemic coverage, as countries eased Covid-19 related travel restrictions.
The airline's health and safety measures and extension of tier status for frequent flyers also helped boost its score to a record high. The UAE airline's impressive ranking was also second-highest globally for airlines — behind only Garuda Indonesia.
Top 10 UAE Travel and Tourism brands in 2022
- Emirates
- Etihad Airways
- Burj Al Arab
- Atlantis, The Palm
- Hilton
- Jumeirah
- Emirates Palace
- Marriott
- Rotana
- Qatar Airways
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, scored second in the rankings with a score of 40.5. The Abu Dhabi airline took the global pandemic seriously, and was the first in the world to insist passengers flying to any destination must have a negative PCR test. Etihad has also started to ramp up operations again.
Dubai's only “seven-star” hotel is third in the rankings. The sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel remains a key part of the city's skyline and scored 32.6 in the rankings. For the first time last year, the hotel opened its doors to non-guests in 2021 with tours of the property's highlights, something that has likely helped strengthen its positive impression for people in the UAE.
The remainder of the list is dominated by hotels and resort brands, with family favourite Atlantis, The Palm in fourth place, and Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi in seventh place. Hilton, Jumeirah, Marriott and Rotana brands rank in the top 10, which is rounded out by Qatar Airways — the flag carrier in the nearby Gulf country — picked by UAE residents for being the most improved brand.
Emirates also topped YouGov's UAE Best Buzz list for 2021 earlier this month, beating out the likes of Apple and iPhone.
