Guess what? Dubai is the number one place to visit in the Middle East region, and the 13th best place for a holiday in the world (we knew that already). This new stat is according to the Travellers’ Choice Destinations 2016 list published by TripAdvisor.

The winners are chosen based on the TripAdvisor reviews of millions of visitors, with the victors being chosen through the use of an algorithm that factors in both the quality and quantity of reviews for hotels, restaurants and attractions over a year-long period.

This is not a bad ranking at all, considering that on the 2015 version of the Travellers’ Choice Destinations it came in as number 24 on the list.

According to the description given of Dubai on Travellers’ Choice Destinations 2016 awards, “Dubai is a cosmopolitan oasis, a futuristic cityscape that towers over the Arabian Desert. This is a city of superlatives, home to the world’s largest dancing fountain; tallest building (Burj Khalifa); only 7-star hotel (the Burj al-Arab); largest artificial islands (the Palm Islands); and largest natural flower garden (the Miracle Garden). Rent a dune buggy for a desert adventure, bargain at the open-air market, or cheer on your favourite humped hoofer at the Camel Race Track.”

Topping the list for this year as the best destination in the world was London in first place, followed by Istanbul, Marrakech, Paris and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Abu Dhabi didn’t fare too badly either, weighing in as the fifth best destination in the Middle East.

Having pulled in over 14.2 million overnight visitors in 2015, there’s no denying Dubai is a huge tourist hotspot – and with attractions such as Dubai Parks & Resorts, Dubai Safari Park and Dubai Frame set to open by the end of this year, there’s no doubt it’s only going to get bigger.

With regards to which attractions were considered a must-see in the city, the top five ranked as follows:

1. Dubai Fountains

2. Burj Khalifa

3. Dubai Mall

4. Burj Al Arab

5. Aquaventure Waterpark

Photos: Getty

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