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A recently released survey on travel had good and bad news for those who work in the tourism trade in Dubai. The good news is that it’s now the fourth most popular city to visit in the whole world. The bad news is that it’s the most expensive place in the world to spend a day. Dubai has long been associated with money - and it’s the opulence of the emirate which has attracted many foreign workers to it in the first place - but the seemingly ever-increasing costs of eating and sleeping in Dubai may soon reach the point where people are discouraged from coming.
The results of the survey have been published on the popular 'Lonely Planet' travel guide, and make for interesting reading. There are cities included on the list that you wouldn't automatically think of as travel destinations, and major travel destinations which don't make an appearance at all. Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt was once one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, but no longer comes close. Not even Cairo - home of the Pyramids - makes an appearance. Players who play UK Slots featuring the Pyramids on websites such as Lion Wins, like 'Crown of Egypt,' may still receive a jackpot when they see the Pyramids, but it seems the tourism in the country no longer does. The legendary scenery and culture within the nation have inspired scores of casino games and movies, but It would appear that it no longer inspires travelers.
Dubai is fourth on the list, with the top five detailed below. If it’s able to improve its performance next year - which might involve adjusting prices a little to make sure the resort remains accessible - then overtaking Paris is the next tourism target. If you’re planning a vacation of your own, then perhaps another one of the top five should be close to the top of your list for consideration?
1. Bangkok
The Thai capital has been consistently one of the most popular cities in the world for many years now, frequently exchanging the number one spot on the list with London, England. Just over twenty million visitors came to see it in 2018, from all over the world. Although it doesn't have a major historical landmark in the way that many of the other cities on the list do, Bangkok is internationally known and respected by many around the world for its culture and its way of life. The food is incredible, as is the nightlife. Many travelers who go backpacking or sightseeing around this part of Asia will start and end their journey in Bangkok, perhaps using one of the many city-center foot masseurs to tend to their feet after a long trip.
2. London
London is a city that everybody should see at least one in their lifetime. If you’ve never been, now might be the time to act. The United Kingdom is yet to declare what its entry and visa requirements will look like after it leaves the European Union, but anyone visiting before its projected departure month of October can travel there by train from France in accordance with existing European Union laws. England’s capital city remains the financial center of the entire world, but business only accounts for a small percentage of the near-20m people who visit each year. The majority of visitors are tourists, drawn in by the chance to see the Queen at Buckingham Palace, or the famous Big Ben clock tower at the Palace of Westminster. Surprisingly, it’s cheaper to spend a day in London than in Bangkok on average, with a daily spend of $153 instead of $173.
3. Paris
Thanks to centuries of history and a thousand works of fiction, Paris in France is still seen as the world’s greatest city for art and culture. That’s despite the fact that Japanese visitors are often so disappointed by what they find that they experience something called 'Paris syndrome,' for which a helpline had to be set up by the Japanese Government. If you come into Paris with realistic expectations, though, you’re sure to be delighted by the paintings in the Louvre, the beauty of the Arc de Triumph or the elegance and class of the Eiffel Tower. Getting into those locations comes at a price, though, which is why Paris costs an average of $301 per day to visit.
4. Dubai
We don’t want to dwell too long on Dubai in this list, because we all either already live within it, or we’ve visited it so often that we’re intimately familiar with it. We should, however, take a moment to note how incredibly successful the emirate has been at attracting visitors. Considering there’s little in the way of long-term historical culture in Dubai, attracting over fifteen million people per year is an astonishing achievement. People do come to see the Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah Island, but it’s the city itself rather than anything in it that makes for the appeal. On average, people visiting Dubai spend $537 per day. That’s the figure that may prevent it from unseating Paris.
5. Singapore
The nearly fourteen million people who visit the beautiful city of Singapore every year presumably do so carefully. Singapore doesn’t look so pristine and clean by accident - it’s because the city is built upon a set of strict and stringently enforced rules and regulations. Dropping litter or leaving chewing gum where it shouldn’t be in Singapore can see you on the wrong end of a significant fine. Old and new stand side by side in Singapore, with brand-new skyscrapers right next to centuries-old temples. Like Dubai, Singapore is constantly innovating what it offers to visitors in order to ensure it holds their attention; the metal trees of the public gardens close to the bay being one such feature. Despite the exotic location, the cost of spending a day in Singapore is even cheaper than in Paris, coming in at roughly $286 per person per 24 hours.
It might be a surprise that there isn’t an American city on the list, but visitor numbers to America have decreased since the election of the current President. New York City is the USA’s only entry on the top ten list, coming in at number six, and trailing Singapore by over half a million visitors.
Rounding out the top ten are Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Istanbul, and Seoul in South Korea.
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