If you’ve noticed Dubai popping up on everyone’s travel list lately, there’s a reason for it. The city has climbed to fourth place for global appeal for tourists, according to the Global Power City Index, which ranks major cities in the world by how attractive they are to visitors, businesses, and global talent.
Dubai earned that spot for a simple reason: people love coming here to shop and dine. In the first half of 2025 alone, more than 9.88 million visitors landed in the city, a 6% more than a year before. And judging by how busy the malls and restaurants are, that number isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
In 2026, Tripadvisor users ranked the city second among the world’s top global dining destinations.
These are other cities in the world that made it to top 10 in tourist appeal:
- London (UK) – 1st place
- Tokyo (Japan) – 2nd place
- Paris (France) – 3rd place
- New York (USA) – 5th place
- Madrid (Spain) – 6th place
- Moscow (Russia) – 7th place
- Istanbul (Turkey) – 8th place
- Bangkok (Thailand) – 9th place
- Shanghai (China) – 10th place
The top three cities have been locked in place for years, but Dubai’s rise hints that a shake-up may not be that far off.
