Home-Based Travel Agent - July 2008 - (Page 39)

is Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, who is also the prime minister of the UAE. The Sheikh has a reputation for being outgoing and extroverted, and is often seen in public without bodyguards, consorting with common folk. His love for horse racing is also well documented, as is his astute business sense. It is widely believed that Dubai’s oil reserves will dry up by 2016, which would adversely affect the Emirate’s yearly revenues. Anticipating the loss of his cash crop, Sheikh Mohammed got to thinking about what could replace it. The answer: Tourism. Three Islands and The World Since 2000, Dubai has become a hotbed of investment, especially from private real estate groups. The hotel and resort development is a major part of Dubai’s commitment to bolster tourism. What Dubai is building is as impressive as how much. For example, take the Palm Islands: Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira. These man-made islands are reclamation projects that add more beach area and additional space for hotel projects. The islands are called “Palms” because the rock and sand is shaped to form the outline of a palm tree. Work began on Palm Jumeirah in 2001 and was completed in about seven years. By the end of 2009, more than 30 hotels will have opened on the island alone, from Atlantis, The Palm to a Trump International Hotel & Tower. The island will also be the final resting place for the Queen Elizabeth 2, which is in the process of being transformed into a floating hotel. Dubai now boasts the world’s tallest free-standing hotel, the Burj Al and the world’s tallest building, the (burj means “tower”). The nation is also embarking on a project that sounds as ludicrous as it does amazing. The World Islands, or The World, is a man-made archipelago of 300 islands constructed in the shape of a world map and located 2.5 miles off the coast of Dubai. Sheikh Mohammed conceived the project, as he did The Palms. This past January, it was reported that 60 percent of the islands had been purchased, with uncorroborated reports that islands were purchased by many celebrities, from soccer star David Beckham and his wife Victoria (aka “Posh Spice”) to singer Rod Stewart. Arab, Burj Dubai ly Arabic in culture, history and hospitality. One of the better activities is trolling the souks, or markets, for popular items such as gold and spices.The souks are great to visit and you can get some good deals, often by haggling over the price, a commonly accepted practice. The gold and spice souks are adjacent to each other in the city area of Deira, and easily accessible along Dubai Creek via abras, wooden boats that are used as water taxis and cost a drop in the hat to ride. It takes just about 10 minutes to cross between Deira and the other side of the creek, Bur Dubai. Dubai is also in the midst of implementing a citywide Metro service that will be completed by September 2009. In the meantime, there Spices and Gold is bus service that offers air-conditioned Much of Dubai is about luxury and its at- bus stops. tainment. Most of the city’s nightlife takes But Dubai can certainly be expensive. place behind the opulent hotel facades, in In fact, one U.S. dollar equals around 3.67 the chic bars and lounges and haute res- dirhams, the UAE’s universal currency. (You taurants. The best of these is Al Mahara, will see it represented as AED.) Don’t be the flagship restaurant of the Burj Al Arab surprised by your bar tab, especially that $50 that conveys guests to the dining room to glass of champagne. the restaurant via a lift outfitted like a subDubai is quickly becoming a workmarine. The experience is cheesy, yes, but ing model of Middle Eastern and Western cheesy can be fun. confluence. It’s not unusual to sit down in Dubai, however, isn’t just for the affluany hotel lobby and see a woman dressed ent.There is still a side that is unequivocalin an abaya, standing next to a German businessman in a threepiece power suit, flashThe Palm Jumeirah provides extra beach space and hotel projects ing a chunky gold Rolex while shouting on a cell phone. Without a doubt, Dubai will continue to grow as a tourist haven as well as lure North American business with the enticement of special economic free zones that make setting up shop there a finanHB cial snap. JULY/AUGUST 2008 Home-BasedTravelAgent 39

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home-Based Travel Agent - July 2008

Home Based Travel Agent - July 2008 Contents Editor's Note Publisher's Note Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight New Technology Industry News Hot Deals Tips for a Smooth Trip Agent Symposium Hotels For the Traveler - Destinations - Mexico For the Agent - Destinations - Mexico For the Traveler - Destinations - Dubai For the Agent - Destinations - Dubai Thailand For the Traveler - Cruise For the Agent - Cruise For the Traveler - Tours For the Agent - Tours New Products

Home-Based Travel Agent - July 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.