Dubai this week opened its second airport, Al Maktoum International, which aims to become the worlds largest in terms of passenger capacity. For the time being, the new airport can accommodate 5 million passengers per year. But the plan is that by 2030, with the opening of five runways, 160 million passengers will be making their way through Al Maktoum International each year. The new airport will take some of the pressure off Dubai International, which welcomed 57 million passengers in 2012. Today, more travelers are passing through Dubai than ever before, and all signs indicate that the Emirati citys passenger traffic will only increase over the coming years. Dubai is a four-hour flight away from one third of the worlds population, and an eight-hour flight from two thirds, notes Pascal Maigniez, the director of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) for the France and Benelux region. Dubais strategic geographic location -- between Europe, Africa and Asia -- has been vital to making it a hub of international exchange, not only in terms of tourism, but also in terms of business and culture. 20 million visitors by 2020 The top destination in the Middle East and the 7th most visited city in the world, Dubai and surrounding areas already welcome 10 million tourists per year, according to Maigniez. Dubai aims to double the number of tourists by 2020 and to triple revenues from the tourism industry, which currently represent 10 percent of the GNP. In preparation for this influx of guests, the country is expanding its infrastructure in the tourism and hospitality sector. To the 80,000 rooms already available in Dubais 600 hotels (including 15 opened this year), the city plans to add 10,000 rooms by 2015. The city is known for its extensive offering of luxury hotels, such as the five-star Zabeel, recently opened by Marriott. However, half of the new hotel development projects are for building more affordable accommodations, with plans to open hotels in the middle-range from the international Holiday Inn, Pullman or Ibis chains. A growing offer of amusement parks Dubai is also turning to another time-tested method for attracting tourists and boosting the hospitality industry: amusement parks. Perhaps the most ambitious project in this vein is Dubailand, an immense territory to the east of the city that will be transformed into an enormous playground, with dozens of theme parks and shopping malls. In the wake of the 2008 financial slowdown, developers scaled down their ambitions for Dubailand somewhat, but now the project seems to be back on track. The territory is also home to a number of tourist attractions, such as the Motor City automotive sports complex, and -- from early 2014 -- Marvel Park, dedicated to the American comic book heroes. Ultimately, according to the director of the DTCM, Dubailand will include around 40 tourist attractions. With the increase in accommodations and activities available for tourists in Dubai, and the new airport located in the corridor between the city and the UAEs capital, Abu Dhabi, the city seems likely to attract even more visitors in the future. At any rate, these are arguments that will work in Dubais favor in its bid to host the 2020 World Expo. Organizers will announce their decision on November 27. If Dubai is chosen to host this global event, the city can expect to host an additional 25 million visitors in 2020.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 06:36:03 +0000
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