It’s not just us in the Middle East who feel it—Dubai is truly the most talked-about city in the world right now, and we have the stats to prove it.
On TikTok, Dubai is the most viewed destination in the entire social media platform by a huge margin, with the hashtag #Dubai getting more nearly 82 billion views.
The city has grown in popularity too—last year, the emirate placed second in the index behind New York. Now it is well ahead. This year, New York City got 59.5 billion views—more than 20 billion less.
Want to see for yourself? See some of what Dubai and the world has created about the city through the TikTok hashtag here.
“Synonymous with wealth and luxury, Dubai has become one of the most sought-after destinations for holidaymakers who want to soak up the sun in style. This ultra-modern city is home to some of the world’s most astounding architecture, such as the tallest building on Earth, the Burj Khalifa,” says the Bounce index.
London came in third place this year, with 36.8 billion views on TikTok, followed by Istanbul (34.0 billion), Paris (33.0 billion), Miami (24.6 billion), Los Angeles (20.8 billion), Chicago (17.9 billion), Toronto (17.1 billion) and Madrid (16.0 billion).
Abu Dhabi placed 22nd with 8.6 billion views on TikTok.
Here’s the full TikTok list, with Dubai at the top
The growth is due in part to the city’s emergence as a top destination in the post Covid-19 world, with the city’s well-regarded response to the pandemic echoing worldwide.
After successfully holding Expo 2020 during the pandemic with 24 million visitors, the city received 7.28 million tourists in 2021, up 32 percent, and 6.17 million visitors from the start of 2022 until the end of May.