The Travel Review of Dubai: Insight into How a Small State Could Become a Popular Tourist Destination - Case Study Example

Travel Review (Student Name) (Institutional Affiliation) (Subject) (Instructor) April 11, 2013 Dubai Travel Review Some countries within the Middle East region have encountered outstanding tourism development barriers and still continue to face. However, Dubai has expressed the capacity to rise above any of these challenges and has positioned herself as a fairly popular tourist destination (Aziz, 2010). Therefore, it is a fascinating example of a great successful tourism centre in the Middle East, which is realizing its tourism potential and establishing new opportunities. Thus, Dubai merits review and this work examines the development patterns in Dubai as well as its fundamental dynamics in respect to the factors which are vital for tourism destination development and obstacles hindering this kind of process. Stability in political, social and economic pillars is critical for tourism as intense volatility and disturbance will deter several investors, tourists as well as the industry for travel agents and tour agents within a country as Seckings (2011) pointed out. Dubai is one of the United Arabs Emirates states and the provisions there are dictated by both the emirate and federation governments. Revenue from oil generated in Abu Dhabi which is the financier and economic thrust, offering smaller states with security and standard of living which could otherwise not be available to them. Dubai comes second in financial and political power after Abu Dhabi and exercises some good level of autonomy and independence in terms of a policy decisions, however it is supposed to assist United Arabs Emirates in other aspects for instance, defense and foreign relations. Formerly dependent on the oil economy, the moderately free market state currently incorporates services and trade. Dubai functions as a gulf region entre-pot and positions herself as the financial and commercial nexus of the region, actively establishing industrial parks and free-trade zones, for example the most recent ones dedicated to the Media and Internet. According to Aziz (2010) Dubai is viewed to be a relatively cosmopolitan and liberal society, with minimal crime rate and low civil unrest threat, and expatriates compose 80 percent of the 1.2 million residents. The dominant religion is Islam whereby women lives remain restricted, however the practice of some religions apart from Islam is allowed, and there is some level of openness to external influence hardly experienced in other parts of the Middle East. The background of tourism is directly linked to transport advances and air accessibility is a prerequisite for any nation attempting to be a leading global destination. Dubai seeks to be hub of air transport for both the Far and Middle East and the authorities (stakeholders) are putting in place proper communication infrastructure. The air transport sector has made several advancements and currently the airport in terms of global passenger movements is the fortieth busiest. It recorded a fourfold rise between 1999 and 2010, when approximately 26 million passengers were carried by 224 airlines operating in 145 destinations, most of these were duty free shopping customers where yearly sales are among the top in the globe. 4.5 billion USD was set aside in 2006 for airport upgrade and this has enabled the facility to handle 50 million passengers annually (Weaver and Lawton, 2010). The government of Dubai owns the Emirates and it is the leading Arab airline. It started operations in 1985 and has since thrived a period when a number of airlines have struggled to stay in business. Emirates projects to carry 40 million passengers at beginning of 2013, once it has paid (USD27) billion to double its carrying capacity to 120 planes. It operates some of the very technologically complex planes on specific lines, it has won a number awards in customer service and analysts have ranked it as an ultimate stern challenger to the internationally leading airlines. Dubai also promotes herself as a destination and cruising hub, probably motivated by Singapore form. The tourism and port authorities have managed to persuade the global cruise trade that the Gulf of Arabia is a sound option to the swarmed waters of Mediterranean and Caribbean. The strength of Dubai as a home port has been stressed, and the visa processes abridged so as to rationalize passenger processing to benefit all the stakeholders. Its Cruise terminal has the capacity to handle two liners at the same time and manage huge ships for example QE2. It is adjacent to the airport and is anticipated that European and North American cruise markets would be motivated by the Emirate’s growing route network. Dubai has established herself within the Western markets as a safe and exotic beach destination with assorted natural and cultural heritage attractions, with shopping diversions. Thus, it has several more established competitors, such as South Africa, Australia, the Seychelles, Mauritius, and the Canary Islands (Aziz, 2010). According to Seckings (2011) accommodation is the most vital amenity required by each and every tourist, and Dubai has formerly promoted the constructions of hotels. Rooms doubled to about 20,000 during 1990s, and it is estimated to reach 100,000 by the 2014. There are about 96 apartment hotels and 300 hotels making up 75 percent of the accommodation stock of the UAE. A number international hotel groups have taken positions either on the coast or within the city and look enthusiastic to increase their portfolios. A lot of commercial interest capitalizes within the luxury segment as well as the outstanding Arab beachside hotel of Burji Al, a seven start hotel, which resembles a billowing sail making it the Dubai’s tourist icon. The other tourist idol is The Palm, a man-made two palm-shaped islands. They have extended the shoreline of Dubai by about 120k; have 2000 residential plots and 48 hotels as well as other fascinating amenities. The World is also an equally luxurious development, which has an assortment of 250 artificially themed islands designed after the world’s 5 continents that compose leisure services and accommodation. Dubai Tower (Burj Dubai) is ballyhooed as the world tallest building see below (Seckings, 2011) As indicated, the Dubai’s attraction capitalizes on its resort hotels and 64km coastline that brags for windsurfing, water skiing, fishing, diving, bird watching and golfing on sand and grass course. Tourists can engage in excursions within the desert, a site for dune driving, camel safari, sand skiing, sunset barbeques, and tours to the isolated oases, forts and Bedouin villages. The other amusements are camel racing and falconry. Events are packaged and presented as attractions, a number of them arranged in the course of hottest months of summer that are outside the peak season. Underscored within the calendar are the Dubai Shopping Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises. Pulsating ceremonies for example, Bedouin weddings normally make up these festivities. Horse races, powerboat competitions, and rugby sevens, tennis and golf tournaments are held each year with exceptionally generous prizes. These kinds of events put Dubai in the media limelight internationally and are an instrument that conveys notions and combat seasonality of advanced quality destination for the case of high-status sporting contests. The emergence of Dubai as tourist destination is as a result of the prevailing geographical, economical, political, historical and socio-cultural processes and structures that have determined its non-tourism and tourism assets (Weaver and Lawton, 2010). Tourism development has been propelled by a sturdy government spearheading political and economic power that has promoted a strategy of massive expenditure and intervention aligned to the future vision of tourism. The country has gained from the internal stability and peace as well as vigorous tourism across the globe. In general, these factors have enabled investment in accommodation, transport and attraction sites and active marketing initiatives that have helped in remedying initial deficiencies in tourism access, amenities and resources. The promotion of ecotourism could severely harm vegetation and wildlife, especially within the nature reserves and bird sanctuaries that has vast ecosystems. The coast of Jumeirah makes up about half of the whole coastline and is being used intensively by both tourists and residents. It has several fishing harbors, parks, water sport facilities, popular beaches and other social amenities. Operations of tourism industry coupled with population growth are increasing pressure along the coastline which has witnessed linear settlement along the shore, augmenting pollution and erosion. The natural sandy vista beaches and open-sea views have been greatly changed and more modifications seem inevitable (Seckings, 2011). The inventory of Dubai’s attractions as well as the leisure products developed from it posse certain weaknesses. Compared with competitors in South-East Asia, Mediterranean and the Caribbean, there is limited selection of natural and cultural heritage attraction features and over-emphasizing on beach tourism posse certain commercial drawbacks. Some of the planned and existing leisure amenities for example theme parks and shopping complexes have homogeneity and sterility, albeit developed to a grand scale, in which case tourists might drain once the freshness has declined (Weaver and Lawton, 2010). The travel review of Dubai generates insight on how a comparatively remote and small state that has deficient supply of conventional cultural and natural attractions could become a globally popular tourist destination. The potential shortcomings have been transformed into selling points of breathtaking desert scenery and constantly hot weather and sophisticated attractions have been established to gratify the modern trend, of which the technological advancements enable tourists and the residents alike to operate regardless of the climatic conditions as well as other geographical barriers. References Aziz , H. (2010). Understanding attacks on tourists in Dubai. Tourism Management 16(2): 91– 95. Balasubramanian, S. (2009). Arabian Gulf outbound.Travel and Tourism Analyst 6: 26–46. Poirier A. (2011). Political risk analysis and tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 21(3): 675– 686. Seckings J. (2011). United Arab Emirates. International Tourism Reports 2: 37–49 Weaver, D and Lawton, L. (2010). Tourism Management. John Wiley: Sydney Read More