Tourism in Dubai
Tourism in Dubai is an important part of the Dubai government's strategy to maintain the flow of foreign dollars into the emirate. Dubai's lure for tourists is based mainly on shopping, but also on its possession of other ancient and modern attractions.
Dubai is the second most populous emirate of the seven emirates of United Arab Emirates after Abu Dhabi. It is distinct from other members of the UAE in that revenues from oil account for only 3% of its gross domestic product. A majority of the emirate's revenues are from the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ) [1] and now, increasingly, from tourism.
Transportation Connection
Dubai’s location at the cross-roads of Europe, Asia and Africa makes for easy accessibility. Most capitals and other major cities have direct flights to Dubai. More than 120 airlines operate to and from Dubai International Airport to more than 260 destinations, making it one of the worlds busiest. Dubai is also the home base of Emirates Airline, international airline of the UAE, which operates scheduled services to more than 100 destinations.
Entry Regulations
Most travelers need to obtain a Visit Visa prior to entering Dubai. However, citizens (and some residents) of Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf (GCC) and citizens of a number of states in Europe and elsewhere (including Australia and New Zealand) can get an entry permit stamped in their passport upon arrival, good for up to 90 days. Visitors from other nationalities require the sponsorship of any U.A.E. resident or any company or hotel licensed to operate within the U.A.E. and are limited to a 30-day stay. Citizens of the UK, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, USA, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong may stay for up to 30 days without a visa.
Shopping Tourism
Dubai has been called the "shopping capital of the Middle East." The city draws large numbers of shopping tourists from countries within the region and from as far as Eastern Europe, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. Dubai is known for its souk districts. Souk is the Arabic word for market or place where any kind of goods are brought or exchanged. Traditionally, dhows from the Far East, China, Sri Lanka, and India would discharge their cargos and the goods would be bargained over in the souks adjacent to the docks. Dubai's most atmospheric shopping is to be found in the souks, located on either side of the creek, where bargaining is part of the buzz.
Modern shopping malls and boutiques are also found in the city. Dubai Duty Free at Dubai International Airport offers merchandise catering to the multinational passengers using Dubai International Airport.
While boutiques, some electronics shops, department stores and supermarkets may operate on a fixed-price basis, most other outlets consider friendly negotiation as a way of life.
Dubai Shopping Festival started on February 15, 1996 as a retail event intended to revitalise retail trade in Dubai. It has since been promoted as an tourist attraction. This yearly month long event is usually scheduled during the first quarter of the year, attracting about 3 million people to Dubai.
During Dubai Shopping Festival, shops offer deep discounts on their merchandise, daily car raffles are drawn, and fireworks light Dubai’s night sky. Tourists from all around the world are lured not only for Dubai's tax free shopping, but also for all of the events that take place during the festival. In 2005, the festival was cancelled due to the death of Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. In addition to Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai also hosts Dubai Summer Surprises.
Dubai - admired and called 'city of gold', the city of gold concept was coined during one of the Dubai Shopping Festival awareness campaigns, In 1996, Dubai invited everyone from all around the world to a global annual festival which came to be named as the milestone "Dubai Shopping Festival" or DSF, they came up with the novel idea of a global village, a shopping village was conceived with all nations participating with their wares and styles in their traditional or cultural ways, the immigrant ex pat population and the fly in visitors rejoiced in the celebration that took place and the promise was given that from then on every year Dubai will host a festival for people from all around the world. The years that followed brought in more visitors more exhibitors and now the stage was set to build on the reputation of hospitality.
Dubai shopping festival was segregated into many major attractions all with one purpose, to have as many ways of entertaining the guests to the city, and catering to each and every individual segment's visiting from around the world, the loyalty of the local expatriate populations definitely finds a reason to become even more attached to the city that brings to them their own culture every year.
Dubai Shopping Festival plays a vital role in Dubai's tourism industry. Apart from the direct impact it has on the tourism industry, Dubai Shopping Festival also contributes its share of importance into the nervous system of the emirate. With the rise of the number of visitors to Dubai for Dubai Shopping Festival, lots of potential immigrant talent and investment get to experience the luxury of Dubai.
Text from the official site of Dubai Shopping Festival
Cultural Tourism
Sightseeing usually comes as a poor second for most visitors, who are lured by Dubai's reputation as a shopping paradise.
Aspects of Dubai's old culture, while occasionally overshadowed by the boom in economic development, can be found by visiting places around the creek, which splits Dubai into two halves, Bur Dubai and Deira. The buildings lining the Bur Dubai side of the Creek provides the main flavor of the old city. Heritage Village offers a simulacrum of old Dubai. The adjoining Diving Village offers exhibits on pearl diving and fishing. The Diving Village forms part of an ambitious plan to turn the entire "Shindagha" area into a cultural city, recreating life in Dubai as it was in days gone by.
Other attractions include the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House; the Dubai Museum in the restored Al Fahidi Fort, which was erected around 1799; and the Heritage Village of Hatta, situated 115 kilometers southeast of Dubai City in the heart of the rocky Hatta Mountains. The history of the village can be traced back 2000 - 3000 years. It consists of 30 buildings, each differing in size, interior layout and building materials used. Great care was taken to use the same materials as those used when originally built during the renovation such as mud, hay, sandalwood and palm fronds. The Sharia Mosque is an old mosque built around 200 years ago using the same building materials and consists of a large prayer hall, a court and courtyard, minaret and other utility rooms.
Tourist accommodation in Dubai is plentiful and relatively expensive with all the major chains having a presence. One increasingly popular alternative is for visitors to rent apartments and villas on a short term basis.
Precautions
Travellers entering Dubai can be jailed for 4 years or more if found in possession (including in the bloodstream and the bottom of the shoes[7]) of illegal drugs (even in quantities as small as 0.001g), including poppy seeds from bread rolls and prescription and over-the-counter medicines such as codeine.[8][9] A senior Dubai judge was quoted on February 11, 2008, by the Dubai City News saying, "These laws help discourage anyone from carrying or using drugs. Even if the amount of illegal drugs found on someone is 0.05 grammes, they will be found guilty. The penalty is a minimum four years. The message is clear — drugs will not be tolerated." A number of travellers have been held pending charge while Dubai authorities test their possessions, blood and urine for any trace of contraband.
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