Dubai ranks among world's top three cities with more tourists than residents

The emirate attracts 15.3 million international visitors with a resident population of 2.7 million, marking a 459 per cent increase each year.

Dubai was beaten out by Paris and Kuala Lumpur respectively. Sarah Dea / The National
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Dubai has ranked one of the top three cities of the world that receive the most tourists in comparison to its population size. 
The emirate attracts 15.3 million international visitors with a resident population of 2.7 million, marking a 459 per cent increase each year, according to research released by On The Go Tours. 
Paris topped the list of cities where the native population of 2.2 million was outnumbered by 18 million overseas visitors registering a 704 per cent increase annually. 
Kuala Lumpur followed with 1.7 million residents and 12 million tourists showing a 595 per cent rise.

"The World Economic Forum has found that for every 30 new tourists to a destination, one new job is created," the study said. 
The numbers reflect how many people visit the most popular cities in the world showing the growth in the city's population through the year. 
Other cities in the top 10 include Milan, Barcelona, Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam, Taipei and Osaka. 
The list covered the 20 most popular cities for tourists relying on Mastercard's Global Destinations Cities Index that ranks 132 cities by overnight international visitor numbers. 
The Dubai Media Office tweeted the top five cities citing Dubai's population surge during the year due to tourists.

> Read more: For work, life and play, Abu Dhabi is a rising star among the cities

Other favourite cities such as Rome, London and New York featured 12, 13 and 19 respectively. 
New York with an 8.5 million population drew 12.8 million annually reflecting a 49 per cent rise, London's population rose by 129 per cent with 8.7 million residents and 19.9 million visitors and Rome's numbers grew by 148 per cent with 2.9 million residents as against 7.1 million tourists.