Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, secured the sixth position in Uber’s 2018 list of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. The ride-hailing company released a retrospective detailing the 15 leading attractions that Uber riders visited most over the previous year on a global scale. While New York’s Empire State Building topped the ranking, the Burj Khalifa finished ahead of other renowned sites such as Buckingham Palace in London and Disneyland, underscoring its significant draw for travelers despite competition from other major icons. Since its debut in 2010, the Burj Khalifa has welcomed millions of visitors each year, cementing its status as a central pillar of Dubai’s tourism strategy. Data cited from 2012 and 2013—the latest available at the time—indicated a cumulative 3.53 million visitors, establishing the tower as Dubai’s most visited tourist attraction within that period. In October of that year, the building captivated crowds with a grand lights-and-music display designed to mark the two-year countdown to Expo 2020, the global exposition slated to be hosted in Dubai. Later in the year, anticipation grew that the tower would again become a focal point for celebrations, with developer Emaar announcing that fireworks would return for the 2019 New Year’s festivities in response to popular demand. The Uber list, meanwhile, highlighted a diverse set of destinations, illustrating how iconic landmarks across continents continue to capture the imagination of travelers.
Uber’s 2018 top destinations: context, methodology, and implications
Uber’s ranking of the world’s most popular tourist destinations for 2018 rests on data drawn from a vast network of rides over a 12-month period. The underlying premise is simple: by examining where Uber riders frequently travel to explore or visit as part of their journeys, the company compiles a cross-sectional view of global traveler preferences. The resulting list reflects a blend of cultural significance, accessibility, and universal appeal—factors that tend to drive steady footfall at iconic landmarks and world-renowned attractions. The list is not a mere catalog of places; it serves as a snapshot of travel behavior, revealing how travelers prioritize certain experiences and what destinations become touchstones for memorable trips.
In this year’s edition, the Empire State Building in New York topped the rankings, signaling the enduring magnetic pull of New York City’s skyline and cultural capital. The Burj Khalifa’s placement at number six signals how a modern mega-structure can rival long-established icons in other markets, even in a list that includes some of the most celebrated heritage sites in the world. The ranking places a mix of historical monuments, urban landmarks, and world-famous cultural institutions side by side, illustrating how a modern, recognizable structure can share the stage with ancient wonders, royal residences, and theme parks. The breadth of the list underscores a global travel ecosystem in which countless destinations compete for attention, but only a limited number reach the top tier of popularity among Uber users.
This Uber compilation features attractions across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, reflecting a broad distribution of travel demand and accessibility. The included sites range from towering skyscrapers and historic plazas to world-famous museums, bridges, and architectural marvels. The geographic spread highlights how metropolitan hubs with dense infrastructure—such as New York, Paris, and Toronto—as well as destination cities with globally recognized landmarks—like Dubai, Istanbul, and Rio de Janeiro—continue to attract international visitors who rely on ride-hailing services to access these sights. The list’s composition suggests that travelers are drawn to both the immediacy of city-center experiences and the prestige of globally iconic sites.
For Dubai, the Burj Khalifa’s sixth-place finish underscores the city’s ongoing appeal as a hub for international tourism and a stage for landmark experiences that integrate urban development with cultural and entertainment offerings. The ranking also emphasizes the power of carefully marketed, visually iconic infrastructures to attract global visitors who seek unique vantage points, memorable experiences, and postcard-worthy moments. In the broader tourism ecosystem, Uber’s 2018 top destinations reflect a convergence of traditional heritage sites and modern attractions, signaling how travelers curate itineraries that blend history, architecture, and contemporary spectacle.
Below is the top-15 list as ranked by Uber for 2018, illustrating the global variety of experiences that captured rider attention:
- Empire State Building — Location: New York, US
- Freedom Tower — Location: New York, US
- CN Tower — Location: Toronto, Canada
- Arc de Triomphe — Location: Paris, France
- Eiffel Tower — Location: Paris, France
- Burj Khalifa — Location: Dubai, UAE
- Buckingham Palace — Location: London, UK
- Disneyland — Location: Paris, France
- Golden Gate Bridge — Location: San Francisco, US
- Sydney Opera House — Location: Sydney, Australia
- The Blue Mosque — Location: Istanbul, Turkey
- Berlin Wall — Location: Berlin, Germany
- The Vatican — Location: Vatican City
- Christ the Redeemer — Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Great Pyramid of Giza — Location: El Giza, Egypt
The mix of these destinations reveals several key themes in travel behavior: a strong appetite for urban icons and skyline viewpoints, a preference for culturally rich and historically meaningful sites, and a global appetite for experiences that offer both photographic appeal and a sense of narrative. The Empire State Building’s lead position indicates the enduring allure of classic cityscapes, while the Burj Khalifa’s high placement confirms the continuing appeal of modern architectural feats in shaping international travel choices. The presence of both Parisian landmarks (Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower) and London’s Buckingham Palace highlights how royal and historic symbols remain deeply embedded in global travel desires. The inclusion of family-friendly destinations such as Disneyland Paris and culturally significant sites like the UNESCO-listed Vatican adds depth to the understanding of what travelers seek when they plan cross-border journeys.
The Uber data, while rooted in ride patterns, provides a broader lens on tourist behavior, illustrating how a diverse set of landmarks can serve as magnets for travelers who vary in age, interests, and travel styles. It also demonstrates how mid-market and luxury travel experiences converge around internationally recognized icons, often serving as anchor points for city itineraries. The ranking also hints at the role of accessibility, proximity to transportation hubs, and the frequency with which travelers seek out these places during leisure trips, business travels, or family holidays. Taken together, the 2018 list paints a portrait of a world where iconic monuments and world-class cultural venues remain central to the tourism experience, regardless of hemisphere or language.
Burj Khalifa: profile, impact, and the Dubai tourism narrative
The Burj Khalifa stands as a defining centerpiece of Dubai’s urban identity and a lasting symbol of the emirate’s rapid transformation into a global hospitality and business hub. Since its opening in 2010, the tower has attracted millions of visitors every year, serving not only as an observation oasis but also as a focal point for entertainment, dining, and experiential tourism. The structure’s presence has become inseparable from Dubai’s broader strategy to position itself as a premier destination for international travelers seeking high-end experiences, architectural wonder, and immersive city life. The tower’s appeal extends beyond its height; it represents a deliberate synthesis of design, technology, and spectacle that aligns with Dubai’s brand of futuristic ambition while preserving a sense of place and cosmopolitan energy.
Historical visitor data from 2012 and 2013—the latest figures cited in this context—documented a cumulative 3.53 million visitors to the Burj Khalifa, underscoring its status as Dubai’s most visited tourist attraction in that period. These numbers, while historically situated, speak to a sustained pattern of demand that continues to shape how visitors plan their trips to the city. The tower’s appeal is enhanced by its integrated setting, including nearby retail precincts, entertainment venues, and contemporary public spaces that encourage extended stays in the downtown area. The architectural ambition behind the Burj Khalifa—often described in terms of cutting-edge engineering, elegant form, and a vertical city concept—reflects a broader macro-trend in which single structures can become anchors for entire urban experiences, driving ancillary tourism related to dining, shopping, and cultural programming.
In October of the referenced year, the Burj Khalifa staged a dazzling lights-and-music display to mark a two-year countdown to Expo 2020, a global event that Dubai was set to host. This spectacle exemplified how a landmark can be leveraged to amplify a city’s global profile, galvanize local participation, and create newsworthy moments that resonate with audiences worldwide. Moreover, the tower’s role in Expo-related celebrations foreshadowed how Dubai would integrate major international events with its built environment, using memorable moments to sustain interest and engagement long after the initial unveiling. The anticipation around Expo 2020 also intersected with broader tourism strategies aimed at maximizing visitation during peak periods and during signature global occasions.
Developer Emaar announced that fireworks would return to the Burj Khalifa for the 2019 New Year’s celebrations in response to popular demand, further highlighting the tower’s status as a public-stage icon where residents and visitors alike converge for shared moments of awe. Fireworks at such a symbolically weighted site are more than entertainment; they are a form of cultural signaling that reinforces Dubai’s openness to spectacle, innovation, and concerted efforts to welcome audiences from around the world. These planned celebrations contribute to an ongoing cycle of publicity and interest, supporting the city’s goals of sustaining momentum in tourism and hospitality.
Beyond the immediate events, the Burj Khalifa functions as a multi-faceted platform for experiences. Observational decks offer panoramic perspectives of the Dubai skyline and the surrounding region, while high-end dining, experiential media, and retail components within its vicinity create a holistic destination where visitors can spend several hours, if not an entire day. The tower’s impact on Dubai’s tourism ecosystem extends to nearby attractions, hotel clusters, and expansive shopping and entertainment complexes that together form a cohesive gateway to the city. The Burj Khalifa’s continued popularity is a testament to how iconic architecture, strategic branding, and public programming can mutually reinforce each other, producing sustained visitor interest and contributing to the broader reputation of Dubai as a global destination.
The global roster: a closer look at the top 15 and what it reveals about travel in 2018
The top-15 list from Uber’s 2018 compilation, shown above, comprises a mix of soaring skyscrapers, historic monuments, cultural centers, and globally recognized landmarks. Each site contributes to a narrative about what travelers seek when they venture beyond their home cities. The Empire State Building’s leading position underscores the enduring appeal of classic urban panoramas and the enduring magnetism of New York as a global gateway city. The list’s European entries—Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, and the Berlin Wall—highlight enduring symbols of national identity, historical memory, and architectural grandeur that still attract international curiosity and curiosity-driven tourism.
Canada’s CN Tower in Toronto and Australia’s Sydney Opera House illustrate how iconic modern towers and performing-arts venues shape travel itineraries across diverse markets. The Parisian duo—the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower—points to the city’s layered experiences that blend military history, elegance, and artful design with a contemporary visitor economy. The inclusion of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt signals the timeless draw of ancient civilizations and archaeological wonders that remain central to global tourism narratives.
The list also features Middle Eastern and Mediterranean landmarks—the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and other culturally rich sites—that attract travelers seeking spiritual, historical, and architectural experiences. Meanwhile, destinations in the Americas—such as the Empire State Building, Freedom Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, and Christ the Redeemer in Rio—showcase a continent-spanning appeal for dramatic cityscapes, cultural iconography, and world-famous vistas. Taken together, the lineup reveals travel patterns that favor aspirational, brand-recognizable experiences with strong storytelling potential. It also reflects the prominence of accessible, centralized urban hubs where visitors can easily combine sightseeing with dining, shopping, and entertainment.
The Uber ranking, while derived from ride data, aligns with broader industry observations about how travelers curate their itineraries around a handful of signature sites. It suggests that iconic architecture, national monuments, and celebrated cultural institutions remain driving forces in cross-border tourism. For Dubai, the Burj Khalifa’s position within this list signals not only its architectural and experiential appeal but also the importance of sustaining a dynamic, multi-faceted tourism offer that can compete with other global destinations for the attention of travelers who rely on ride-hailing and other urban mobility services as part of their daily planning.
Implications for Dubai and the broader travel landscape
Dubai’s place in Uber’s 2018 ranking, particularly with the Burj Khalifa at number six, offers several strategic takeaways for the city’s tourism authorities and hospitality sector. First, the consistent appeal of the tower demonstrates the enduring value of building and maintaining world-class landmarks as living, experiential attractions rather than static monuments. The presence of the Burj Khalifa alongside a spectrum of other global icons underscores the importance of a diversified tourism proposition—one that pairs architectural grandeur with cultural programming, retail experiences, and family-friendly attractions. Such a mix helps sustain visitor interest across generations and travel preferences, contributing to longer stays and greater overall spend.
Second, the data highlights the effectiveness of aligning major public-facing milestones with large-scale promotional events. The two-year countdown to Expo 2020, celebrated through a prominent lights display at the Burj Khalifa, exemplifies how landmark venues can serve as stage-setting devices that amplify global attention and local engagement. This approach can be replicated through strategic collaborations, seasonal programming, and the integration of global events with city-level branding—each designed to elevate Dubai’s profile in the competitive global tourism market.
Third, the re-emergence of fireworks for New Year’s celebrations at the Burj Khalifa signals the enduring demand for spectacular public spectacles that create shareable moments. Such programming not only draws crowds but also generates media coverage, social media engagement, and positive word-of-mouth that can reverberate beyond immediate attendees. In a crowded global market for tourism, these moments help Dubai differentiate itself by offering memorable experiences that resonate with diverse audiences, from families to solo travelers and business visitors.
Fourth, the Uber list overall provides a window into evolving travel preferences. While some destinations reflect longstanding heritage and cultural significance, others represent contemporary icons whose popularity stems from architectural innovation, media exposure, and the promise of unique photo opportunities. For Dubai, this means continuing to invest in both the preservation and modernization of its attractions, ensuring that experiences remain fresh, accessible, and aligned with evolving traveler expectations in an increasingly digital and mobile-driven world.
Finally, and closely tied to Expo 2020 and related developments, the Burj Khalifa’s standing illustrates how a city can leverage a flagship landmark to attract international attention, stimulate ancillary economic activities, and reinforce its growth trajectory as a global tourism destination. For policy makers, developers, and industry stakeholders, the takeaway is clear: a successful tourism strategy combines iconic architecture, compelling experiences, event-driven programming, and a well-connected urban ecosystem that makes it easy for visitors to move, explore, and linger.
Conclusion
The 2018 Uber ranking of the world’s most popular tourist destinations highlighted the enduring appeal of iconic landmarks and the global reach of destinations like the Empire State Building and the Burj Khalifa. Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, in particular, demonstrated how a modern architectural marvel can achieve a top-tier position among a diverse set of world-renowned attractions, reflecting both its distinctive design and its role as a central pillar of Dubai’s broader tourism strategy. The tower’s history of heavy visitor volumes, the notable 3.53 million visitors reported for 2012–2013, and its involvement in Expo 2020 countdown celebrations and New Year’s events all point to a strategic use of landmark experiences to attract, engage, and retain international travelers. The Uber list as a whole offers a lens into how travelers choose experiences, coming together around a mix of skyline views, cultural landmarks, historical monuments, and entertainment venues. This dynamic continues to shape how cities market themselves, invest in infrastructure, and curate experiences that resonate with a global audience seeking memorable, visually striking, and culturally meaningful moments.