Akon To Perform At SLS Dubai’s Privilege

Dubai, a fascinating city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been listed twice in a row as the Most Popular Destination in the World by the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for destinations.

The city which is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations worldwide with its spectacular skyscrapers, beautiful beaches, and amazing attractions which have received a lot of attention, was identified based on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings specific to the award from travellers on TripAdvisor over the 12 months between November 2021 and October 2022. 

The travel platform which annually releases its Travellers’ Choice Awards, has in the past year spotted Dubai as ‘The Best of the Best Destinations’, amidst various entries from the Middle East, European stalwarts, and coveted tropical and desert getaways.

This is a notable recognition, leaving Dubai as the only destination to win the title for two years consecutively after London.

Sarah Firshein, the Head of Editorial at TripAdvisor said “Above all, travellers are seeking out new adventures this year, and our Travellers’ Choice 2023 Destinations list reflects the very best places chosen by our devoted community,” 

Justin Reid, Director of Media, Destination, and Travel, TripAdvisor had earlier described Dubai in their previous win as “an ultramodern city that has it all… Despite the effects of the pandemic, Dubai still attracted visitors from near and far over the past year and has stood out as their favourite place to go in a year when they really needed some excitement”

The Travellers’ Choice Awards are based on ratings of places to visit, stay at, and do while traveling, therefore to be ranked as the top destination in the world signifies that it has received excellent traveller reviews throughout all of its tourism sectors. Other listed include; Bali, Indonesia; London, United Kingdom; Rome, Italy; Paris, France; Cancun, Mexico; Crete, Greece; Marrakech, Morocco; Dominican Republic; Istanbul, Turkey.

To heat up activities in the city of Dubai, Five-time Grammy-nominated artist and international R&B sensation, Akon, is taking over Privilege’s stage on the towering 75th floor on Friday, January 20, 2023, to bring his soulful voice and rich music repertoire to the Dubai party scene. Tickets are available at AED 300 per person (including 1 drink voucher and Table bookings.

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai commented: “The top ranking by global travellers reflects the vision of the leadership to transform Dubai into the world’s top destination for tourism and business, as embodied by a key goal of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

The Agenda’s objective of consolidating Dubai’s status as one of world’s top three cities for tourism and business signifies the leadership’s determination to mark Dubai out as a clear leader not only as a leisure and lifestyle destination but also as a hub for connectivity, commerce and investment. Dubai’s diverse tourism attractions and hospitality offerings, combined with its emergence as a leading venue for global events and a magnet for talent and enterprise will continue to reinforce its status as a favourite among global travellers over the next decade.

Dubai’s tourism, hospitality and events sectors have been at the forefront of a rebound and acceleration of global growth in these sectors over the last two years and will continue to play a key role in shaping their evolution in the future.”

His Excellency, Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said: “Being named the No.1 global destination for a second consecutive year reflects the significant work undertaken by the city’s many stakeholders, our strong public private partnership model, and Dubai’s global network of partners – all of which are aligned towards the guiding vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the city of the future and the world’s best destination to visit, live and work.

“Tourism is a central pillar of Dubai’s economic growth and diversification, and the continual investment in our product offering, a frictionless and superlative guest experience and the development of the sector and those working in it, will not only serve to further accelerate industry growth but critically, will have a significant multiplier impact on many other elements of Dubai’s economic landscape and global appeal to businesses and talent.

“We also see this sector’s growth providing many opportunities for national talents to enter the industry and we will continue to provide an educational and training framework for their development as well as the wider industry’s continued advancement,” His Excellency Helal Almarri added.

The top TripAdvisor award is the latest addition to a series of international accolades bestowed on Dubai, demonstrating the city’s enduring appeal as a multifaceted destination. With more than 13,000 restaurants and cafes spread across the city, offering diverse cuisines for foodies and families, Dubai continued to win international recognition as a global gastronomy hub including the launch of the MICHELIN Guide Dubai and the arrival of renowned fine-dining restaurant critique guide Gault & Millau in 2022. Several of Dubai’s restaurants, chefs, and gourmet experiences were also recognised in the inaugural edition of the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2022.

His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Inspired by our visionary leadership, Dubai continues to take significant steps to ensure it remains at the forefront of global tourism and this award only seeks to motivate us further and drive us to work harder to stay ahead in the coming years.

“Retaining our position as the No. 1 destination in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards is just a reward for the efforts to continuously innovate and adapt to the evolving nature of travel, build out exceptional guest experiences at every touchpoint, and effectively tailor Dubai’s offering for different needs and segments. As a city that is always on the move, Dubai’s charm is its unique ability to surprise and delight both new and repeat visitors with its ever-growing diverse offering while keeping its authenticity and traditions intact.

We have successfully taken these messages to the world by bringing the destination to life through a series of global campaigns with the support of over 3,000 partners worldwide, providing international audiences an exciting insight into the city’s most iconic landmarks such as the Museum of the Future and unique hidden locations. Our focus for 2023 and beyond will be to drive and support growth through this mosaic of experiences, across all our tourism pillars from entertainment to shopping and cultural to culinary experiences.”

As one of the most sought-after cities for international travel, business and events, Dubai’s significant resurgence throughout 2022 was further spurred by Expo 2020 Dubai with the hugely successful global event attracting over 24 million visits by the time it concluded on 31 March 2022.  

In addition, Dubai’s annual calendar of festivals, leisure, sporting and business events including the Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Food Festival, Gulfood, the Dubai World Cup, World Government Summit, GITEX Technology Week, Dubai Desert Classic, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, Dubai International Boat Show and the Arabian Travel Market, to name a few, spurred a significant growth in tourism.  

As it keeps pace with the rapidly evolving global tourism landscape Dubai is constantly introducing regulatory, infrastructure and travel initiatives to attract even more visitors from around the world. Dubai’s tourism momentum has continued to quicken, thanks also to the support extended by both domestic and international partners in showcasing the city as a destination that is safe, open and accessible.

According to the latest data published by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai welcomed 12.82 million international overnight visitors between January and November 2022, which surpasses the 6.02 million tourists that Dubai attracted for the corresponding period in 2021.  

During this 11-month period, 794 hotel establishments with over 145,098 rooms also opened their doors to guests, delivering strong occupancy levels of 73 per cent, which is among the highest occupancy rates internationally.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, helps hundreds of millions of people each month become better travellers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travelers across the globe use the TripAdvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do, and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before.

With more than 1 billion reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travellers turn to TripAdvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby. As a travel guidance company available in 43 markets and 22 languages, TripAdvisor makes planning easy no matter the trip type.

About SLS Dubai Hotels & Residences    

Located in the Downtown district, the impressive 75-story tower makes SLS Dubai one of the tallest hotels and residences in the region and comes with incomparable 360-degree views over the city, with unobstructed views of the iconic Burj Khalifa.

Developed in collaboration with international architecture firm Aedas, SLS Dubai features 254 expertly designed hotel rooms by acclaimed designer Paul Bishop, 371 residential units, and 321 hotel apartments.

The opulent Sky Lobby sits on the 71st floor with the region’s highest two infinity pools set on the 75th floor and the signature luxe Ciel Spa on the 69th, all offering coveted views of the city.     

Ranked as the #3 hotel in the Middle East in the Conde Nast Traveller’s 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards, SLS Dubai sets the bar as a world-renowned must-visit destination in the region.

About Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET)

With the ultimate vision of positioning Dubai as the world’s leading commercial centre, investment hub and tourism destination, Dubai’s Department of Economy, and Tourism (DET) is mandated to support the Government in achieving its competitiveness vision to position the emirate as a major hub for global economy and tourism, and in boosting the emirate’s economic and tourism competitiveness indicators.

Under this remit, DET is driving efforts to further enhance Dubai’s diversified, innovative service-based economy to attract top global talent, deliver a world-class business environment and accelerate productivity growth. Additionally, DET supports Dubai’s vision to become the world’s best city to live and work in by promoting its diverse destination proposition, unique lifestyle, and outstanding quality of life.

DET is the principal authority for the planning, supervision, development, and marketing of Dubai’s business and tourism sectors. It is also responsible for the licensing and classifying all types of businesses, including hotels, tour operators and travel agents.

The DET portfolio includes Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, Dubai Industries and Exports, Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI) and Dubai SME, as well as Dubai College of Tourism, Dubai Calendar, and Dubai Business events. ge of Tourism, Dubai Calendar, and Dubai Business events.