British Airways (BA) has compiled a list of the top 13 destinations to visit in 2013, with Dubai featured as one of the hot spots alongside Rio de Janeiro, Las Vegas and Alicante.

Paolo De Renzis, area commercial manager Middle East and Central Asia said the list for 2013 is a mix of new destinations and popular favourites.

“This list shows that while travellers are eager to visit well-established destinations such as Las Vegas and Dubai, they are also looking for something off the beaten path,” he said.

“Dubai has long been a destination of choice for Europeans looking for sun, sand and shopping, while at the same time, Dubai residents are looking for new cities and countries to discover. This list is just a small selection of the 175 destinations in British Airways’ extensive network, which can be accessed with easy connections through London Heathrow’s Terminal 5.”

Richard Tams, British Airways head of UK & Ireland sales, said: “Undoubtedly consumers will continue to be driven by value-for-money next year, with routes such as Dubai, Cape Town and Bangkok already proving popular. We’re also experiencing a real growth in Asia right now and responding to demand with a number of new routes, including Seoul and Sri Lanka.”

Compiled by a panel of experts and using company data, in addition to Dubai, British Airways’ top 13 destinations for 2013 include Rio de Janeiro, Punta Cana, Derry, Las Vegas, San Diego and Alicante.

Other destinations featured in the list are Sri Lanka, South Korea, Croatia, Vietnam, Tbilisi, Georgia and South Africa. – TradeArabia News Service