Tourism in Dubai

By Rob Colbourne

Dubai is a top tourist destination in the world especially in the Middle East. According to Euromonitor Dubai ranked 8th in the world in its survey of 150 most visited cities of the world in 2007 when it was visited by 6.54 million visitors. The number is estimated to cross 15 million by 2015. Travel industry is promoted in Dubai by the government which helps it to earn huge revenue and foreign exchange. The main attraction for the visitors coming to Dubai is shopping along with other ancient and some recent tourist attraction that were built during the recent construction boom.

Dubai is well connected by airlines to all the major destinations of the world. More than 120 airlines operate from Dubai International Airport connecting Dubai to 260 destinations across the globe. Dubai has all the major hotel chains which offer world class services to tourists. The rental villas and apartments are also gaining popularity in Dubai.

Dubai is an extremely safe place especially from woman's point of view. However at the same time unaccompanied woman are uncommon. Also illegal drugs including over the counter medicines such as codeine are banned in Dubai and its possession carry a minimum sentence of 4 years.

A unique aspect of tourism in Dubai is that here shopping is the main attraction for tourists. In fact, Dubai is popularly known as the Shopping Capital of the Middle East. A large number of shopping aficionados, not only from the region but such faraway places like South East Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. Dubai's most visited place is the souk (meaning market in Arabic) district situated on both side of the creek.

The city has many modern malls, boutiques and shopping centers. These places offer every material items all under the same roof. Dubai Duty Free located ad Dubai International Airport caters to the multinational passengers. Intense bargaining is an important feature of shopping in Dubai. While some places may opt for fixed prices most of the shopping outlets in Dubai consider friendly price negotiations as a routine.

Dubai Shopping Festival that takes place every year is the main shopping event in Dubai. It usually takes place in the month of January. This festival transforms Dubai into one giant shopping mall where everything from Cars to clothes is sold under the same roof. Certain additional events like folk dance, musical concerts and art exhibitions are also organized as part of the festival.

The Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House is an important tourist destination. Visitors also like the Dubai Museum situated in the restored Al Fahidi Fort, which was erected around 1799. There is also a heritage village of Hatta situated south-east of Dubai in the Rocky Hatta Mountain range. The village can be traced back to 2000 - 3000 years old. It was renovated taking great care to use the same material as during original construction. There is also a 200 year old mosque called the Sharia mosque consisting of a large prayer hall. The Burj Dubai which is the largest manmade structure in the world is also a major source of attraction.

Dubai is a shopper's paradise and one of the most international destinations providing a glimpse into the Arabic culture and traditions.

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