Tourism in UAE

The United Arab Emirates is one of the modern and developed Arab countries that were able, within a short period, to have a strong position on the world map of tourism.The UAE in the recent years has become one of the leading countries in tourism in the Gulf and Middle East region. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council report, 41 percent of total investments in the travel and tourism sector in the Middle East region are accounted in UAE. Moreover, the report predicted a steady increase of the amount of investments in the UAE tourism sector by 7 percent every year (Ajou, 2012). The government of the UAE is trying to focus on other substitutes of the oil industry. According to the article, tourism sector contributed 14 percent to the UAE economy in the year of 2012 (Sambidge, 2013). Therefore, tourism is a good investment for the UAE and it's also making the UAE well-known worldwide and famous. According to the article, in the year 2012 the number of tourists heading to the UAE was estimated to reach ten million (John, 2013). This paper will cover the reasons behind UAE's success in the hospitality market. Also, it will go through the positive and negative outcomes of tourism in the UAE. Finally, it will provide some recommendations and suggestions based on the outcomes.

The UAE has acquired a strong position in the hospitality market and became a world class tourism destination. This was due to several factors. For instance, the UAE has a unique location in the world map that links between the east and west. Also, UAE's government has established various tourists' facilities in all of its seven emirates and is constantly developing more. For example, the country has exceptional hotels and resorts that were designed uniquely and provide excellent services. Moreover, the security and stability in the UAE is another significant factor that attracts tourists from all over the world. To be more specific, the crime rates are very low, the food hygiene standards are high, and the standards of medical care are excellent. Furthermore, the UAE is famous for its shopping malls and shopping festivals especially in Dubai. Tourists from all around the world enjoy shopping in the UAE during their visit. According to research, in 2011 Visa account holders from different countries such as Russia, UK, USA, and China spent $1.2 billion on general merchandise like clothes, music, antiques, and jewelry purchases in the UAE (Baricordi, 2012). Finally, the UAE has modern and developed infrastructure that provides high-ranking services for the tourists and residents such as airports, ports, roads network, means of communications and other impressive services.

The United Arab Emirates is doing an excellent job in its tourism sector and this is reflecting positively on the country's economical performance and it's contributing significantly to the GDP. According to the article, AED193.6 billion of UAE's GDP was from the tourism sector in the year 2012, and that contribution is estimated to rise by 3.2 percent by the end of 2013 (Sambidge, 2013). Moreover, due to the tourism sectors constant development, the unemployment rate will be minimized significantly, and more job opportunities are available. In 2012, a total of 383,500 jobs were supported by the travel and tourism sector and by the end of this year, the number is expected to further rise by 2.6 percent to 393,500 jobs (Sambidge, 2013). Nevertheless, tourism may affect the country’s natural resources by the excessive use of the increased numbers of tourists as well as locals and residents. Also, the heritage sites may be damaged and affected by the increasing number of visitors. Furthermore, traffic jams and accidents will increase due to the growing number of tourists as well as the population.

 

The negative outcomes of tourism are going to affect the country badly. Therefore, quite a few suggestions will help to minimize the bad impact of tourism. First, the country should adapt technology to minimize the excessive use of natural resources such as water. In term of the heritage sites conservation, the number of openings hours and days should be minimized and controlled. Moreover, the traffic jam and increasing number of accidents can be avoided by providing other means of transportation such as the railways in Dubai. 

To sum up, the UAE is a country that succeeded to be one of the leading countries in the tourism and hospitality market. This paper discussed the reasons behind the UAE's success in tourism. This mainly was the strategies used in providing the tourists with everything they are looking for. Then it discussed the positive outcomes such as the good contribution of tourism to UAE's GDP. Also the paper included the minor negative outcomes. For instance, traffic jams and overuse of the country's natural resources. Finally, it suggested using technology to avoid and overcome some of the negative outcomes.

Bibliography

Ajou, N. E. (2012, November 29). Travel and tourism companies in UAE must embrace online marketing to grow their businesses. Retrieved from The ultimate Middle East Bussines Resource: http://www.ameinfo.com/travel-tourism-companies-uae-embrace-online-320885

Baricordi, M. (2012). Tourism Outlook: UAE. Retrieved from Visa: http://corporate.visa.com/_media/visa-tourism-uae-12.pdf

John, I. (2013, february 15). UAE tourism revenue set to hit $7.5 billion by 2016. Retrieved from Khaleej Times: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/biz/inside.asp?xfile=/data/uaebusiness/2013/February/uaebusiness_February252.xml&section=uaebusiness

Sambidge, A. (2013, March 17). UAE tourism worth $52bn in 2012. Retrieved from Arabian Business: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/uae-tourism-worth-52bn-in-2012-says-report-493423.html

  Environment & Biodiversity : UAE National Council for Tourism & Antiquities. (n.d.). TOURISM. Retrieved May 20, 2013, from http://www.uaetourism.ae/en/19/tourism-and-discovery/environment-and-biodiversity


UAE tourist arrivals to rise 9% in 2012 - Arabian Travel Market. (n.d.). Welcome to Arabian Travel Market - Arabian Travel Market. Retrieved May 20, 2013, from http://www.arabiantravelmarket.com/Media-PR/ATM-Press-Releases/UAE-tourist-arrivals-to-rise-9-in-2012/