Coming in ahead of some seriously big-name destinations including Tokyo, Singapore and Miami
Dubai has another reason to feel pretty good about itself.
The city has been named one of the world’s 10 most attractive tourist destinations, according to Yanolja Research’s latest global assessment – and it has beaten some seriously big names along the way.
Dubai ranked 10th globally and took the top spot in the Middle East, finishing ahead of destinations including Tokyo, Yokohama, Singapore, Chicago and Miami.
Not bad for a city that is already firmly established on the global travel map.
This isn’t simply a popularity contest based on visitor numbers. Yanolja Research looked at how travellers actually feel about destinations, using social media conversations and sentiment analysis.
Researchers assessed 261 cities, analysing traveller discussions in 14 languages between June 2025 and May 2026.
The research looked at everything from urban beauty and scenery to culture, history, hospitality and experiences, as well as conversations around food, hotels, shopping, attractions, nightlife and activities.
In short, it’s less “How many people came?” and more “Did they actually enjoy themselves?”
And Dubai clearly made an impression.
The top of the table was dominated by Asian and European destinations, with Osaka taking first place, followed by Kyoto, New York, Seoul, Paris, London, Rome and Okinawa.
Dubai’s position is particularly notable given the competition, putting it ahead of established tourism favourites such as Tokyo and Singapore.
Yanolja also separates destination awareness from attractiveness. While awareness looks at how much a city is discussed online, attractiveness focuses on the positive sentiment surrounding visitor experiences. Both measures are given equal weighting.
The ranking arrives as Dubai continues to post impressive tourism numbers.
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism recorded 19.59 million international overnight visitors in 2025, up from 18.72 million the previous year.
December was particularly busy, with 2.04 million international visitors, making it the first month to cross the two-million mark.
Western Europe was the city’s biggest regional source market, accounting for 4.1 million visitors, while the GCC contributed 2.99 million. South Asia and the CIS and Eastern Europe each brought in 2.89 million travellers.
Dubai’s hospitality industry continues to expand alongside demand. By December 2025, the city had 154,264 hotel rooms across 827 establishments, with average occupancy reaching 80.7 per cent.
New additions included Ciel Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Mandarin Oriental Downtown Dubai and Cheval Maison Expo City.
Meanwhile, Dubai continues to build a packed calendar of sporting, cultural, entertainment, food and business events. Dubai Business Events secured 504 successful bids in 2025 for events taking place through to 2029.
So, while Dubai’s visitor numbers tell one story, this latest ranking adds another: people aren’t just coming to Dubai – they’re enjoying what they find when they get here.
