Certain countries of the Middle East have
faced exceptional tourism development
challenges and continue to do so. Dubai,
however, has demonstrated an ability to overcome
any of these it shares and establish itself
as a relatively popular destination with a high
tourism growth rate. It is therefore an interesting
example of a more successful Middle East
tourism centre that is creating new opportunities
and realising its potential. As such, Dubai
merits examination and this paper explores the
pattern of development there and its underlying
dynamics within the context of factors that
are critical to destination development and
barriers obstructing such a process.
After an opening section explaining the
choice of analytical framework, a brief
summary of tourism in the wider area and
United Arab Emirates (UAE), to which Dubai
belongs, is presented in order to set the scene.
This is followed by discussion of Dubai’s
positive attributes and an evaluation of future
challenges before a conclusion which comments
on any general lessons to be learned
from the particular experiences of Dubai. Findings
are derived from an analysis of secondary
data, material provided by official agencies
and fieldwork observations and the main focus
is on leisure travel from markets outside the
region.