Dubai was until recently not well known for tourism. How has Dubai managed to catch up with major tourism destinations such as Hawaii, Cannes or Bali? Other destinations have spent decades building up reputations and infrastructure with the hope of becoming a major travel destination. Dubai has managed to surprise all hospitality and tourism experts. These experts did not expect any destination and especially not one in the Middle East to become dominant player in the travel industry.

So how did Dubai manage to build a beautiful oasis in the middle of the desert? Dubai started its rise to fame just over a decade ago with the launch of the first annual Dubai shopping festival. The local government decided to use this festival as a tool to promote Dubai as a holiday destination.

The Dubai Sheikh and his sons spend years building an infrastructure and resort area for the tourism industry The Sheikh had learned from oil experts that the oil supply of Dubai could run out by as early as 2010. The leader of Dubai realized that the 2nd largest of 7 United Arab Emirates could not survive without the oil revenue. The Sheikh of Dubai therefor looked for alternative sources of income and came up with the vision of turning Dubai into a luxurious holiday destination as well as an important business centre .The Dubai rulers invested most of the oil revenue into tourism and this has lead to Dubai being a leading holiday and business destination.

Dubai is superbly located geographically as it’s situated at a point where Europe, Africa and Asia meet. This has benefitted especially the MICE segment of the Dubai hotels and travel industry. MICE stand for the Meetings and Incentives branch of the tourism industry. Dubai has several world class facilities for trade shows and exhibitions including the ever so popular Dubai World Trade Centre. Practically every day some form of event or exhibition is held in Dubai which brings thousands of businessmen each day to this busy emirate. Large number of luxurious business hotels in Dubai cater exclusively for these visitors.

Dubai is an excellent choice as a venue for meetings or trade shows as it’s ideally located for events which attract people from various continents. If one looks at the number of flights arriving daily at the Dubai airport and the vast size of the airport, it’s hard to imagine that Dubai only started an airline in 1985 while most countries have had airlines since early 1950’s.

The Jumeirah beach area offers a select number of world class resorts such as the Burj Al Arab. The Dubai Burj Al Arab hotel must certainly be the most famous hotel in the world and its quality of service and its magnificent and luxurious facilities are unheard of in the hotel business. The other Dubai beach hotels are also of excellent quality and some are surprisingly affordable. The Dubai Hilton Beach hotel and the Jebel Ali resort for example offer great deals for families or visitors that can’t afford the rates at the Burj Al Arab but still would like to stay at a 5 star Dubai resort along the beach.

Dubai has plenty of tourist attractions and activities for both the young and the old. An indoor ski piste was even created and opened its doors only a few months back. Other great Dubai activities are the Dubai desert safari’s by jeep, snowboarding on the sand dunes, playing 18 holes at one of the many world renowned golf courses or even just going shopping at the numerous shopping malls. Prices for many items are considerably cheaper then back home so do have a look as you will surely find a great deal. You should spend a few hours at one of the Dubai souk’s such as the Dubai gold souk. A visit is a great experience which should be done by anyone visiting Dubai. Don’t forget that you are expected to haggle about the price but always do it with a smile on your face!

The nicest period of the year to travel to Dubai is from October until about April. During these months the weather in Dubai cools down so that it’s ideal for travelers. The weather in July or August is unbearable with many local residents even trying to get holiday so that they can take their family abroad to a place with more humane temperatures. The trends so far do seem to suggest however that Dubai will have considerably more visitors this year for July and August than any previous year. Many Europeans are now choosing Dubai for their summer holiday destination as opposed to Jamaica or Cuba.

The future of the Dubai tourism industry just keeps getting brighter and brighter and there is no sign that the growth will slow down any time soon!