The United Arab Emirates is emerging as one of the most desirable tourist destinations in the world. There are several reasons for the country’s popularity as a tourist destination. Due to the fast developing economy in the UAE, several major festivals have become popular all over the world.
These festivals and events have led to high level of tourism activity in short recurrent periods (Bundhun 3). Economic growth in the UAE depends on the spending activity of the foreigners. Tourism is replacing oil as a source of income for the country. Oil reserves have become depleted, and are progressively proving unreliable.
In addition, foreigners bring foreign cultural values to the UAE during the festivals and events. Economic activities and the resulting growth also have a definite effect on the environment. Games, athletics, national celebrations, shopping seasons, and holiday seasons are some of the events that attract mass tourism in the UAE (Bundhun 5).
Since events and festivals are the major causes of tourists’ attraction to the UAE, the economic impact of tourism can be associated with them. During these events and festivals, there is a huge influx of the wealthiest people from all over the world. Consequently, demand for goods and services rises and economic activity increases. This is an important source of income for the citizens of the UAE and the government.
While people are on tour in the UAE, they identify viable economic activities and invest in them (Bundhun 8). One of the major industries that have experienced significant foreign investment is the real estate market. This has happened due to the UAE’s reputation as one of the most luxurious places to live in.
Event tourism in the UAE promotes foreign trade on which the country relies for a significant portion of its total income. Politically, the UAE is gaining acceptance as a global economic player unlike other Arab countries, which seem isolated on the global scene. Most of the cities in the United Arab Emirates have grown at a very fast pace due to the establishment of buildings and infrastructure to accommodate tourist influx.
Many jobs have been created by event tourism as entrepreneurs establish businesses to provide services to the visitors (Poore 3). Moreover, the banking industry has been promoted by tourism since the visitors use banking system in the UAE to facilitate their stay in the country. This way, the banking industry in the UAE has expanded to become of international acclaim.
The transport industry in the UAE has also significantly expanded due to the need to travel around the country. Movement within the country has also necessitated the development of an intricate road and rail infrastructure in the region. The UAE’s Emirates is one of the leading airlines in the word due to the event tourism in the UAE (Bundhun 7).
The increase in tourism and foreign trade is important for economic growth and stability in the country. However, the economic situation in the UAE is increasingly becoming resonant to economic trends and patterns in the world.
This makes the UAE susceptible to the destructive effect on global economic recessions. When some western countries experience economic difficulties, event tourism and investment reduce in the UAE leading to significant decrease in revenue for the country.
Furthermore, event tourism poses a political danger to the government and the people of the UAE. As the tourism industry becomes influential in the economy of the country, it is easier for foreign powers to manipulate political processes in the UAE. This can be done through regulating the number of tourists visiting the UAE during festivals and major events.
If tourists, particularly from the European Union, ceased to travel to the UAE during events, the economy would deteriorate. Most tourists, who visit the UAE during major events and festivals, tend to go on spending sprees.
Over years, native citizens of the UAE have adopted this wasteful trend. (Sultan 11) This behavior is also fuelled by the increased income resulting from event tourism. Economic behavior of native citizens is gradually changing into a western economic behavior characterized by excessive spending, when income is high, and low spending, when it is low.
Tourists who come to the UAE bring their cultures into the country. Although there are efforts to regulate the spreading of western culture among native citizens, there are indicators that the prevailing traditional culture is dissolving.
The positive aspect of this phenomenon is that the barriers that existed among the ethnic groups in the Emirates are slowly disappearing as the native citizens of the UAE adopt some aspects of western culture. In other words, national cohesion has been improved by development of event tourism (Sultan 13).
This way, citizens are becoming ethnically indistinguishable from each other. Event tourism has also contributed to the suppression of the conflict between foreigners and the native citizens. The citizens are gradually accepting western culture that foreigners from around the world bring into the country.
This happens because most people in the world have a certain degree of western influence. When tension between foreigners and native citizens is reduced, cordial business relationships can be established between both sides. Cultural influence is also important for position of the UAE in world politics. The country is becoming recognized as an influential state (Sultan 15).
Sports are being encouraged by event tourism in the UAE because it is a country that does not traditionally have many sport enthusiasts. Tourists are fond of games, such as golf, and some of the games are part of events that attract tourists into the country (Poore 4).
In addition, there is event tourism triggered solely by game seasons, such as rugby tournaments. Horse races are also becoming increasingly popular with tourists, and the local population is being assimilated to the culture associated with these sports.
The UAE was founded as a primarily Muslim state. Most of its civil laws were formulated in Islamic perspective. However, due to economic needs of the country, the government and the local authorities allow people from the western countries to engage in practices that the Islamic laws would not allow otherwise.
Behaviors, such as drinking of alcohol and public intimacy, have always been unacceptable in places where majority are used to strict Islamic culture. Wearing western style clothes, especially by women, is a trend that is being slowly adopted by Arab natives in the UAE.
This creates a conflict between the local traditional Islamic and the western cultures introduced by tourists (Sultan 16). Most of the native citizens consider western practices adopted by fellow citizens to be symbols of western decadence.
Event tourism in the UAE has several effects on the environment. However, while some of the aspects of event tourism help protect the environment, the most significant effects are negative (Poore 2). One effect of event tourism is conservation of natural environmental features realized due to the effort by business entities to maintain a pleasant environment for tourists.
The tourism industry’s demand for infrastructure and accommodation requires entrepreneurs to build more accommodation structures and roads to facilitate tourism. Humans have invaded natural vegetation and habitats during construction of these structures. As the UAE tries to improve its capability to host more people, the environment is inevitably being damaged.
Beaches that were previously undisturbed by humans have now been turned into tourist beaches with buildings and people who pollute the water with industrial waste (Poore 5).
Concrete buildings have occupied the land, previously fertile for vegetation, thus making it unable to support any living creatures including humans as well. Dubai, one of the largest cities in the UAE, is thought to be the place of one of the most extensive damage to the environment due to event tourism.
Tourists interested in various events and festivals occupy the city during the whole year (Poore 1). These tourists make up the majority of the population in the city. Dubai is just one example of many cities in the country affected by expanding infrastructure and other structures that occupy large spaces.
Event tourism has necessitated building of numerous hotels and restaurants all over the UAE. These establishments usually produce large amounts of greenhouse gases. This is leading to environmental pollution and warming of a country that has already been overheated. Moreover, emissions containing carbon particles settle on natural vegetation shortening its life.
Encroachment of natural vegetation and disfigurement of natural land topography affect availability of water in the UAE. This is threatening the existence of event tourism itself along with the country’s economy. However, entrepreneurs who wish to attract tourists are for protection of some aspects of the environment (Sultan 22).
Since beaches and coastal resorts are important for any tourism industry, the UAE government has invested in protecting marine life and keeping the beaches clean for the sake of tourism. This is an indirect effect of event tourism on environment protection (Sultan 20).
Furthermore, the UAE has built artificial highlands with the aim of lengthening its shores and increasing coastal land for building luxurious accommodation buildings for tourists. These artificial islands are new habitats for marine life. Vegetation is also planted on the islands to create a microclimate favorable for development of diverse life forms.
The UAE is one of the few countries that are displaying the ability to adapt to the ever-changing environmental conditions and decreasing mineral resources. The depletion of natural petroleum in the country has necessitated adoption of tourism as a new way of generating revenue. Event tourism is a major player in the tourism industry in the country.
This kind of tourism has led to many benefits for the country. The UAE has become economically powerful, largely due to the economic advantages of event tourism. There are other cultural and environmental benefits gained from event tourism. However, the influx of foreigners and expansion of the country’s infrastructure have a negative aspect.
Undesirable aspects of the western culture are spreading all over the UAE since the tourists do not desist from certain cultural practices when they are in the country.
In addition, buildings and development projects aimed at increasing the capacity of the UAE to host tourists have damaged the natural landscape and vegetation. Since event tourism is necessary for the survival of the UAE’s economy, it must be encouraged while enough caution is exercised to avoid retrogressive effects of such activities in future.
Works Cited
Bundhun, Rebecca. “Event Tourism in Dubai.” The National Conversation 6.2 (2012): 3- 8. Print.
Poore, Alison. “Manufactured Eco-Tourism: Is Dubai short changing itself?.” Tourism 13.5 (2011): 1-7. Print.
Sultan, Amena. “The economic crisis and its impact on the tourism and travel sector in Ras Al Khaimah.” Department of Economic Development 21.4 (2009): 2-24. Print.