Introduction
In an article titled ‘Tourism in Dubai: Overcoming Barriers to destination Development’ in volume 8 of The International Journal of Tourism Research in 2006, Joan Henderson provides an in-depth explanation and description of tourism in Dubai, factors critical to destination development and the challenges faced by Dubai as a tourist destination. She describes what destination development is going further to give an overview of tourism situation in Dubai. Henderson identifies six core factors that are critical to destination development in Dubai. She further goes on and gives the future challenges to be faced by Dubai in its effort to be an international class tourist destination.
An overview of Tourism in Dubai
According to Henderson, destination development is a central theme in the tourism literature which basically involves the temporal and spatial evolution of destinations, the impacts of development, government growth policies, planning imperatives, marketing issues and business strategies. There are also key pull factors that attract tourists to a certain destination such as knowing about and having favorable impressions of that particular destination, attractive sites and accommodation facilities. The role of sociopolitical determinants of tourist destinations is appreciated as they, in the end, determine if tourists will choose a particular destination. Dubai is one of the emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It lies on the southern gulf flanked by majestic desert. Dubai is divided into the Deira district to the north and Bur Dubai to the south by the Dubai Creek. Five kilometers southeast of the city is located at the Dubai International Airport. Tourism in Dubai has experienced a steady growth with 374400 arrivals in 1982 and 5420000 arrivals in 2004.
Factors Critical to Destination Development
Henderson has identified the following factors as being critical to destination development in Dubai: Political, social and economic domains. These domains create a peaceful and conducive environment that attracts tourists. Dubai has experienced political stability all along and it is second to Abu Dhabi in terms of political and financial power in that it exercises independence and economic policymaking; Government tourism policy, the UAE has created a conducive and attractive environment through investment in infrastructure with tourism being ‘positioned at the center of the diversification program …’ (p. 91). The DTCM has put a lot of effort into tourism development, planning and marketing; Dubai is ‘very accessible’ as its internal airport being the sixtieth busiest. The emirates airline which is owned by the Dubai government has helped in opening up Dubai to tourists coupled with visa procedures being simplified; Amenities such as accommodation are well developed in Dubai with hotels and apartments forming the bulk. The government has also relaxed rules governing land ownership and leasing to facilitate hospitality development; Tourist attractions include the 64 km coastline, resort hotels and desert features that offer several sporting activities.
Challenges for the Future
There are several challenges which include stability and government tourism policy which are threatened by political instability, terrorism activities and wars being experienced by the neighboring countries such as Iraq and the entire Middle East, inadequate land for expansion and problems associated with the rapid urbanization needs to be addressed; Tourism attractions and promotion in Dubai are limited in terms of the available cultural and natural heritage attractions. The high temperatures during summer restrict activity and even keep tourists away. The government has neglected its natural heritage that could be major attraction feature; The future of accessibility and amenities in Dubai is at risk of being compromised if she does not brace herself with the advances in technology. Potential businesses have been restricted due to religious reasons with uncertainty that may be created by travel advisories from the USA and EU. There are also beliefs that Dubai is expensive and the government has to reverse this notion at all cost as this may turn away potential tourists. Dubai should explore other economic avenues and stop focusing on beach tourism and shopping venue. Other socioeconomic sectors should be exploited in order to create an all-year-round tourism destination.
References
Henderson, J. C., 2006. ‘Tourism in Dubai: Overcoming Barriers to Destination Development’, International Journal of Tourism Vol. 42, pp. 87-99.