"A study of opportunities and threats emerging from the current and likely

future tourism development in Dubai with particular reference to the

concept of sustainability"

By

Julia Maria Kühn

DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN FULFILLMENT OF THE PROJECT

UNIT FOR THE DEGREE OF:

BA (HONS) MANAGEMENT BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION

N

EW COLLEGE DURHAM

Submission Date: 3rd December 2008

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STUDENT DECLARATION

BA (HONS) MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION

I hereby declare that:

This project is my own work. I have acknowledged material from the work of

other people and I have clearly marked and given references to all quotations;

and

I permit the lodging of a copy of this project in the College Library, which

shall be made available for the academic use of staff and students.

Signed (student)

Date

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ABSTRACT

This research project assesses the current and likely future tourism development in

Dubai. Particular reference was given to the concept of sustainable tourism

development. It was to be answered, whether the current scale of tourism development

in Dubai is likely to be sustainable. In order to answer this question, the author has used

several frameworks for assessing Dubai′s current scale of tourism development and its

strengths and weaknesses as a tourist destination. Moreover the concept of sustainability

has been introduced in this project. The importance of sustainable tourism development

in Dubai had to be assessed; hence, the author demonstrated a choice of Dubai′s

approaches towards sustainability. Finally recommendations are given of how to

further tourism development in Dubai should be realised.

The research findings show that Dubai′s strategic tourism development is focused on

quantity rather on quality. 20 years ago, Dubai consisted mainly of desert, today

countless hotels, theme parks, and even artificial islands are being built to meet the

current demand and to attract more tourists. Such a rapid development is not without

criticism in terms of major negative sociocultural and environmental impacts. This

piece of work highlights these impacts and points out whether they can be overcome or

not.

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I TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT 3

1

INTRODUCTION 10

1.2

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY 10

1.3

COUNTRY OVERVIEW 12

2

LITERATURE REVIEW 15

2.1

THEORIES ON THE TOURISM INDUSTRY 15

2.1.1 TOURISM PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT 15

2.1.2 THE TALC-MODEL 16

2.2

IMPACTS OF TOURISM 18

4.3

THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABILITY 19

2.3.1 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT 19

4.4

SWOT ANALYSIS 22

3

METHODOLOGY 24

3.1

WHAT IS RESEARCH? 24

3.2

RESEARCH FAMILIES 24

3.2.1 SECONDARY DATA 25

3.2.2 PRIMARY DATA 25

3.3

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES 26

3.3.1 INTERVIEW 26

3.3.2 QUESTIONNAIRES 26

3.4

KEY CONCEPTS 27

3.4.1 VALIDITY 27

3.4.2 RELIABILITY 28

3.4.3 GENERALIZATION 28

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3.4.4 TRIANGULATION 28

3.5

ETHICAL ISSUES 29

4

RESEARCH FINDINGS 30

4.1

ANALYSIS OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN DUBAI 30

4.1.1 TOURISM PLANNING IN DUBAI ACCORDING TO COOPER′S FRAMEWORK 31

4.1.1.1 Tourism Policy 31

4.1.1.2 Marketing Strategy 32

4.1.1.3 Taxation Structure 32

4.1.1.4 Infrastructure Developments 32

4.1.1.5 Education and Training 33

4.2

THE TOURISM PRODUCT IN DUBAI 33

4.2.1 TYPES OF TOURISM 33

4.2.2 VISITOR PROFILES 35

4.2.3 CURRENT PROJECTS 36

4.3

APPLICATION OF THE TALC MODEL TO DUBAI 37

4.4

IMPACTS OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY IN DUBAI 39

4.4.1 ECONOMIC IMPACTS 39

4.4.2 SOCIOCULTURAL IMPACTS 41

4.4.3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS 42

4.5

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT 43

4.5.1 THE NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN DUBAI 43

4.5.2 APPROACHES TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY IN DUBAI 45

4.5.2.1 The Al Maha Desert Resort 46

4.5.2.2 Environmental Master Plan 46

4.6

PRIMARY DATA ANALYSIS 47

4.7

SWOT-ANALYSIS 50

5

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 52

5.1

EXAMINE THE KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF CURRENT AND LIKELY FUTURE

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN DUBAI 52

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5.2

ASSESS THE POTENTIAL OF DUBAI AS A TOURIST DESTINATION WITH

PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO SWOT ANALYSIS 52

5.3

ANALYSE POSSIBLE THREATS TO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN DUBAI 53

5.4

ASSESS THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN DUBAI 53

5.5

FORMULATE RECOMMENDATIONS AS TO HOW FURTHER TOURISM

DEVELOPMENT IN DUBAI CAN BE REALISED 54

II TABLE OF FIGURES

III GLOSSARY

IV BIBLIOGRAPHY

V TABLE OF APPENDICES

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II

TABLE OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1.1: RECENT TREND AND OUTLOOK FOR GDP GROWTH IN THE UAE IN % 13

FIGURE 1.2: DUBAI′S SECTORAL STRENGHTS IN LIGHT OF GLOBAL FUTURE GROWTH 14

FIGURE 2.1: TALC-MODEL BY BUTLER 16

FIGURE 2.2: ADOVACY AND CAUTIONARY PLATFORM 20

FIGURE 2.3: SWOT MATRIX 22

FIGURE 4.1: TOURISM-RELEVANT NUMBERS 30

FIGURE 4.2: INCENTIVE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS 2000 - 2001 35

FIGURE 4.3: HOTEL GUESTS BY NATIONALITY 2007 36

FIGURE 4.4: DRAFT OF CURRENT PROJECTS IN DUBAI 37

FIGURE 4.5: INTERNATIONAL VISITOR ARRIVALS IN THE UAE 38

FIGURE 4.6: ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND COSTS 39

FIGURE 4.7: TRAVEL & TOURISM CONTRIBUTION TO UAE′S ECONOMY 40

FIGURE 4.8: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ALONG THE VALUE CHAIN 42

FIGURE 4.9: TCCI SCORE VS. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY 44

FIGURE 4.10: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN DUBAI 48

FIGURE 4.11: DUBAI SWOT-ANALYSIS 50

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III

GLOSSARY

DTCM

Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing

GCC countries

Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,

Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Sultanate of Oman)

GDP

Gross

Domestic

Product

Gulf States

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar,

Oman,

Kuwait

MICE

Meetings,

Incentives,

Conferences,

Exhibitions

TALC

Tourism Area Life Cycle

TTCI

Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index

UAE

United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ajman,

Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, Umm al-Quwain)

WTO

World

Tourism

Organisation

WTTC

World Travel & Tourism Council

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