Dubai Travel Analysis - Literature review Example

Travel Review (Student Name) (Institutional Affiliation) (Subject) (Instructor) April 13, 2013 Dubai Travel Review Tourism in the last few decades has become a trendy international leisure bustle. In 2011, there were approximately over 950 million global tourist arrivals recording a growth are of 7.1% when compared to the 2010 arrivals. Global tourist earnings increased to 20 billion US Dollars, which corresponds to a growth of 4.8% in real terms (Seckings, 2011). Dubai has sprung out as a central tourist destination within the international tourism radar. The region has now become an attraction epicenter for shoppers, tourists and business people alike. This paper offers a travel review of Dubai. According to Seckings (2011) the available statistics indicate the increasing relevance of Dubai. The region was visited by approximately 8.5 million tourists in 2011. A growth in hotel capacity has been reported at a staggering average growth rate of 70%. The cruising industry has been witnessing increased development within the region. In 2011, Dubai has hosted well over 400,000 passengers, and it projects about 700,000 cruisers by the end of 2015. The cruise terminal in Dubai has the capacity of handling three ships and 7000 passenger at ago. The number of visitors went up by about 13% in 2011 when compared with 2010. According to Aziz (2010) as of now, Dubai has 577 hotels of different types in which case 62 of them fall in the category of five start hotels. In 2012, about 160 exhibitions and conferences took place in Dubai and 80 of these activities were hosted by the Dubai World Trade Center and 15 of them hosted in DICC. In 2012 alone, Dubai held 19 festival and cultural shows. Dubai has 43 shopping complexes and it accounted for well over 67 sporting events that entailed horse and camel racing. United Arabs Emirates has 85 embassies located there. Dubai has more than 60 overland safari firms doing businesses. In 2012, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Kingdom, Iran and India become the leading five market sources for the tourism industry in Dubai. The revitalization of the tourism industry in Dubai can be attributed to a number of factors. The industry has recorded correction with the materialization of budget hotels and budget airlines within the regions which has assisted in poising the tourist mix (Balasubramanian, 2009). The tourism development has been to a larger extent propelled majorly by tourists originating from China, GCC as well as the Incentives, Meetings, Exhibitions and Conventions sectors. The restoration of tourism sector that has greatly contributed to the economic recovery of Dubai could be attributed to the inventiveness jointly undertaken by the Tourism and Commerce Marketing Department, the tourism industry and Emirates Airlines. One of the greatest reasons for the tourism boom can be credited to the extensive tourism campaign in the international media especially via the global television channels. A number of road shows as well as several initiatives such as “kids go free” program have created a lot of tourism demand in Dubai. According to Balasubramanian (2009) the significant inflow of tourists has become a vital aspect of the domestic economy. Tourism sector generates approximately 12% of the Gross Domestic Product of Dubai. Dubai has sprung has the tourism hub within the region and it possibly to say that leisure has outshined business as the principal motive for the guests. It has also positioned itself as a global sporting destination. The cruising sector has augmented the inbound tourism through creating a new division of holiday makers within the region. Cruise liner: (source Aziz, 2010). Dubai is strategically positioned geographically as cruise site with its tourism road and rail networks aided by superb flight networks across the globe. Factors vital to the development of tourism destination comprise the stability in political and economic domain, the accessibility, the state tourism policy, attractions and amenities and the Dubai’ scorecard in all these factors is overwhelming. Dubai functions as the regional entrepot and advances herself as the financial and commercial nexus of the region of Gulf a matter that is apparent from the programs undertaken to establish industrial parks and free trade zones. It is viewed as a relatively cosmopolitan and liberal society of which 80% of its total population is expatriates (Aziz, 2010). Crime rate in Dubai is comparatively low and one can count Dubai to be among the safest cities globally. The state has a critical function in sustaining and initiating tourism. In view of state policy on tourism, tourism has been placed at the core of the diversification plans beside construction. In terms of accessibility, tourism growth and development is directly tied to the developments within the transport sector as well as easy accessibility on air that is a precondition for any nation to come out as leading global destination. It has concentrated in the establishment of the region as the strategic hub of air transport for the Far East and Middle East. Again, Dubai positions itself in the market as cruising destination and hub in the leagues of Singapore model creating stiff competition to the swarmed Mediterranean and Caribbean region. Dubai has marketed itself within the Western marketplace as a safe and exotic beach tourism destination with assorted natural and cultural heritage and shopping diversions attractions. A lot of attention ought to be on the establishment of the leisure cultural experience and in the respect of cultural and natural heritage sites. In view of this aspect of promotion, the Dubai’s amenities and attractions are features of tourism destination brand expressed in various marketing functions. Dubai has in fact gained form vibrant tourism promotion across the globe. The attraction sites of Dubai borders on its flamboyant resort hotels and 64 km shoreline. In Dubai, events are packaged and presented as attractions. The Dubai’s tourism industry experiences the challenge of growing cost of its resort hotels and accommodations. The devaluation of the pound and euro versus the dollar could exert pressure on the tourism of Dubai because its currency (the dirham) is tied on the dollar. The tourism industry in Dubai may decline due to high costs particular for visitors who travel with their whole lot of families. It also faces stiff competition from not so expensive tourism destination for example in Egypt and Lebanon. The other state that is also gaining a lot of tourism momentum is Qatar. The Dubai market has not fully realized the prominence health tourism within the Asian market. With increasing medical care costs, health tourism has become a flourishing sector particularly in Asia. For instance, countries line Singapore, Thailand and India provide health care for only 10% of the cost that it could have cist for the same medical procedures a country such as the United States (Balasubramanian, 2009). The setbacks faced within this industry include cost and quality considerations. In spite of the growing number of hospitals which are accredited, still United Arabs Emirates must go extra miles to develop its reputation as a safe and cost effective destination for health care matters. It’s noteworthy in this context to highlight the corporation that Emirates have developed with Harvard Medical College to run the Dubai Medicare city in an effective manner. The tourism in Dubai is also slowed down by the fact that is providers less costly hotels. Currently the attention of high rolling guests has moved to all inclusive suites. The demand for leisure and business travel is hampered by the economic changes and wiped out by political instability. The financial crisis in 2008 adequately demonstrates this issue in terms of tourism within this region. Consequently, the political instability as a result of Arab Spring uprisings in several countries in the Middle East region could act as a vehicle in promoting Dubai’s image as a world class destination (Aziz, 2010). The city faces stiff competition from advanced tourism destination such as Malaysia, Turkey, Thailand, the Canary Island, South Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives, and Australia. It has often been argued that there are financial risks and opportunity costs linked to more focus on tourism. The tourism industry in Dubai is to some extent responsible for the real estate fizz and unprecedented construction in Dubai. Extreme expansionist tourism initiatives pose pessimistic ramifications. It may affect adversely the nature reserves and bird sanctuaries with diverse ecosystems (Balasubramanian, 2009). The coast of Jumeirah makes up approximately half of the entire shoreline and is greatly occupied by both tourists as well as the residents. (Jumeirah Hotel) (Source: Aziz, 2010). Jumeirah has the most famous several hotels and beaches, parks and water sport facilities. The growing tourism sector and population growth could distress the fragile ecological balance of the city that could result in the immense erosion of pollution and coastlines. On the same note it is worth mentioning to highlight that law exists in an effort to preserve the protected zones. Traffic along the roads has grown exponentially causing atmospheric pollution and congestion. In general the success of Dubai as a tourist destination becomes a typical example of offering insights of how a county that has deficient supply of conventional cultural and natural attractions sprung as one of the leading global tourist destination. 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