Dubai has been named in the world’s top 25 holiday destinations in the annual awards run by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website.
The emirate, which welcomed more than 11 million guests in 2013, was ranked 17th in the global list, which was topped by Istanbul, Rome and London.
TripAdvisor’s sixth annual Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations also showed that traditional tourism hotspots Paris and New York dropped down the list to seventh and 12th place respectively.
Newcomer to the top 10, Istanbul, swooped into the number one position, just ahead of Rome, which itself rose two places from fourth last year.
The largest city in Turkey, Istanbul is the country’s cultural capital and embraces both its European and Asian roots as the country bridges the two continents.
Elsewhere, Asian destinations were named among the biggest risers, with Beijing, Hanoi, and Shanghai all awarded one of the top 10 places for the first time.
James Kay, TripAdvisor spokesperson, said: “These awards are based on millions of reviews and ratings by those that really matter – travellers themselves. There is no doubt the birth of the royal baby helped keep the eyes of the world on London in 2013, but the capital’s continued appeal among travellers around the world surpasses any one event.”
Top 10 destinations in the world, according to TripAdvisor:
1. Istanbul
2. Rome
3. London
4. Beijing
5. Prague
6. Marrakech
7. Paris
8. Hanoi
9. Siem Reap
10. Shanghai