8.01 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

Dubai in top 6 hottest holiday destinations in world for 2016

Published
By Parag Deulgaonkar

Dubai has been named in the 2016's six 'hottest destinations' by Air Canada's in-flight magazine, which calls the shopping centres in Dubai as 'legendary'.

The enRoute magazine, in its 'Where to travel in 2016' article states that that 'legend' will only get more entrenched in 2016 as the malls continue to expand their shopping and entertainment offerings.

The Mall of the Emirates offers shoppers who can’t decide between the jewel-encrusted carpet and the tax-free Stella McCartney skirt can now mull over their choice while skiing down an indoor slope or bouncing on a trampoline without ever leaving the building.

Furthermore, in early 2016, the annual Dubai Shopping Festival will begin. Between January 1 and February 1, the festival will take over the city with concerts featuring international superstars and daily prizes of luxury cars, gold and cash.

After a day of shopping, it suggests surveying the Four Seasons DIFC, the Viceroy Palm Jumeirah or the Jumeirah Al Naseem – just three of the new luxury hotels set to open in Dubai in 2016.

Though not mentioned, the 'thrill of the hunt' – how the magazine describes Dubai, will become more exciting with the opening of the Dubai theme parks – Legoland Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai and Motiongate Dubai - in October 2016.

The other destinations on the list are Los Angeles; Brisbane; Whitehorse, Canada; Rio de Janeiro and Dublin.

In May 2015, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said 13.2 million tourists visited the emirate in 2014, registering a growth of 8.2 per cent year on year.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of DTCM, said they expect to grow the tourist numbers at 7 to 9 per cent annually with the target to achieve 20 million by 2020.

Earlier this year, Emirates 24|7 reported Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said Dubai was aiming to become the world's most popular city destination by 2020.

"We are looking at different types of tourists in the period leading up to and beyond 2020. There will be more cultural, business and leisure tourists. We have already seen substantial increases in tourists from Saudi Arabia, India and China," he had said.

In 2014, the Facebook listed Dubai Mall Aquarium & Underwater Zoo; Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi; Dubai World Trade Centre; Mall of the Emirates; Ferrari World Abu Dhabi; Dubai Marina; Burj Khalifa; Atlantis The Palm, Dubai; Miracle Garden Dubai and The Dubai Mall as the top 10 checked-into destinations in the UAE.