Tourism

As a tourist destination, Dubai is a natural. From rugged mountains and awe-inspiring desert landscapes to lush gardens and beautiful beaches, the emirate has astonishing variety in a small area. A colorful blend of old and new, Dubai offers lively traditional souks and ultramodern shopping malls, traditional Bedouin hospitality and the most sophisticated business services.

Dynamic culture with multiple attractions for visitors

The emirate’s cultural life is rich and varied; as long-time expatriates will tell you, there is never a dull moment in Dubai. With over 100 nationalities living together peacefully, Dubai is vibrantly international, with each culture offering something to the colorful mix. Although Dubai is an Islamic country it is liberal in its views, and Dubai City’s nightlife rivals that of other international capitals. To add to its attractions, Dubai has become a popular destination for sports lovers, who come for water sports, golf, one of the world’s most prestigious horse races, and much more.

With a thriving economy, no unemployment and a government committed to maintaining stability, Dubai is also one of the world’s safest travel destinations; there is virtually no crime in the emirate.

Recent major investments in the tourism sector will add to Dubai’s appeal. Four current mega-projects have a combined value of USD 4-5 billion, and more than 6,500 new luxury hotel rooms will come on to the market in Dubai over the next five years as part of 27 new construction or expansion projects in the hotel sector. The spectacular Palm and World developments on man-made offshore islands are expected to become significant tourism draws as well.

Dubai International Airport is undergoing major expansion to meet rising demand, and a new Dubai-New York flight is expected to bring in more American visitors. Dubai is expected to attract 15 million visitors by 2010, generating five percent growth and around 23 million guest nights.

Dubai Tourism, Commerce and Marketing

“We have much more to promote worldwide.”

Dubai is often praised for its marketing genius, and much of the credit for promoting and marketing Dubai as an ideal destination for both business and leisure travelers goes to Dubai Tourism, Commerce and Marketing. DTCM, founded in 1997, is well on the way to achieving Dubai’s goal of attracting 15 million tourists by 2010.

Under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammed (Chairman) and Khalid Bin Sulayem (Director General), DTCM has been successfully promoting Dubai as a year-round, international destination with broad appeal for both business and leisure travelers.

DTCM has a wide range of activities, with a current focus on tourism. As Sulayem notes, “We started promoting Dubai as a tourist destination in 1990. The size of our responsibility is tremendous considering our size when we started. We now focus about 80 percent on tourism and 20 percent on commerce and marketing, though we still handle the convention center. We also handle Dubai conferences, expos, convention center activities, cruises, museums, even the archeology sites surrounding Dubai, where they are excavating and researching artifacts from the Neolithic and Iron Ages.”

One of DTCM’s key responsibilities is to handle the marketing of Dubai abroad. As Sulayem points out, “DTCM is Dubai’s overseas marketing arm. Dubai tourism has been very successful. Even in 2002, when the global tourism industry was suffering, Dubai tourism saw its highest growth ever, expanding by 30 percent. We are currently opening new markets.” DTCM has established two offices in the United States, in New York and Los Angeles.

Thanks to a new direct flight between Dubai and New York, DTCM plans to increase its promotion of Dubai in the United States. As Sulayem concludes, “With the new things in the region like Dubai’s convention facilities, new cruise terminal and new hotels and resorts, we have much more to promote worldwide.”

Burj Al Arab

Dubai’s Burj Al Arab is the world’s tallest and only seven star hotel. It is also an iconic landmark known worldwide to represent the luxury, exclusivity and quality for which Dubai is known. Built in the shape of an Arabian dhow sail, the Burj Al Arab has 202 lavishly decorated duplex suites designed by Khuan Chew. The suites range from the one bedroom deluxe suite (510 square feet) to the palatial royal suite (2,340 square feet).

Sheikh Mohammed constructed the Burj, which is 90 feet shorter than the Empire State Building, to first and foremost serve as a symbol for Dubai. The government therefore spared no expense. Every suite comes with a 24-hour personal butler and absolutely every amenity possible. Some highlights include a technologically advanced remote control unit that allows operation of the entire suite without budging an inch, a state-of-the-art entertainment unit and surround-sound speakers in a fully soundproof setting, a spacious Jacuzzi and bathroom filled with large complimentary Hermes toiletries, and an office area complete with laptop with high-speed internet access.

Some regular guests who have enjoyed lengthy stays at the seven star wonder include Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Nelson Mandela, Richard Branson, Venus Williams, Anna Kournikova, Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati and Tiger Woods.