It's official!!! Dubai is one of the world’s most visited cities

Dubai has officially been named as one of the world’s most visited, welcoming 15.79 million overnight visitors last year.

Dubai comes fourth on the list, behind Bangkok, London and Paris, cementing its status as a top destination for tourists from across the globe.
Researchers for the Mastercard study predict another year of steady expansion in 2018, with a projected growth rate of 5.5 percent. They praised Dubai for its “dynamic” range of tourism offerings as well as the city’s love of world records. Dubai also came first in a list of cities with the highest international overnight visitor spend for the third year in a row, with the figure coming in at $29.70 billion (Dhs109.09 billion) for 2017. Girish Nanda of Mastercard said:
"Reaffirming its standing as a destination of choice for global travelers, Dubai has once again secured top rankings in Mastercard’s annual Global Destinations Cities Index. "With its dynamic range of tourism, leisure, lifestyle, hospitality and business offerings, the emirate continues to attract visitors from across the globe. "Renowned for global firsts and world records, Dubai has never shied away from evolving, and has transformed itself into one of the world’s most prolific tourism and investment hubs.  "The index offers research and insights into global spending and travel patterns, helping cities to innovate and improve their offerings and enrich the lives of residents and visitors alike."
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi has been named the fastest growing city in the Middle East and Africa, with a growth in annual visitor counts of 18.21 percent between 2009 and 2017.