MENA region tops polls for world’s best travel destinations

Safety and family attractions are key tourist draws

A series of recent polls carried out by leading travel companies have highlighted the popularity of cities in the Middle East as holiday destinations for international travellers.

A report by InsureMyTrip ranked Dubai as the world’s best city for family vacations in 2022. The emirate received high scores in five out of seven categories, including safety (10/10), family attractions (10/10), weak ocean current (9.75/10) and sea temperature (7.7/10).

According to the report, Dubai is a family-friendly wonderland, offering access to a variety of theme parks. It’s deemed one of the safest destinations in the world and is becoming more affordable for families, offering all-inclusive resorts with an array of activities.

Commenting on the findings, InsureMyTrip director of marketing Sarah Webber said: “As Covid-19 restrictions begin to relax and more families decide to vacation again, it is especially important that they feel safe.”

Of the 62 cities analysed in the survey, Dubai scored a total average score of 7.42/10. It was followed by Colombo (6.71), Turks & Caicos (6.48), Barbados (6.37) and Corfu (6.27). Other cities that made the top 10 list include Phuket, Auckland, Rio de Janeiro and Havana.

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Dubai was also recently voted Best Global Destination in TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2022 for its innovative strategy to stay open during the pandemic in a safe and accessible manner, as well as Top Destination for City Lovers.

Other cities in the MENA region also ranked highly, including Marrakech in 7th place, Cairo in 9th, Abu Dhabi in 15th and Doha in 18th.

Meanwhile, travellers from the MENA region are flocking to Turkey. According to flight-booking website Wingie, most of the flight tickets purchased by MENA-based travellers were to Istanbul, followed by Khartoum, Manila, Dhaka, Baku, Lucknow, Entebbe and London.

For the full list of Travellers’ Choice Awards winners, visit www.tripadvisor.com