Part Three: Tourism

Chris Monsour

Chuck Stull

Economics of Global Travelers

16 April 2014

1. Importance of Tourism to Country: Dubai alone witnesses over 9 million tourists annually. The number of tourists that visit the UAE annually fluctuates between 12-15 million people. Majority of tourists come from Africa, Europe, Asia, and the US, with the highest concentration of tourists hailing from Asia. Dubai International Airport is also in the top five busiest airports in the world. 

2. Major Tourist Attractions: Dubai is the biggest tourist attraction in the UAE and arguably one of the most fascinating cities in the world. The Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai is the world's only 7-star hotel and boasts some of the most incredible architecture ever seen on a building. Another major attraction in Dubai is the world's tallest building; the Burj Khalifa. Aside from the buildings in Dubai, there are numerous shopping malls, artificial islands, national parks, zoos, and incredible restaurants scattered throughout the country. Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi is one of the UAE's newest attractions that has brought in millions of visitors alone.

3. Abu Dhabi maintains over 2,000 parks and gardens both in and around the city, In Dubai, there are over 22 national parks and zoos as well as four aquariums. All together, the UAE has thousands upon thousands of well-maintained national parks, public beaches, gardens, and nature preserves. The UAE government is very serious when it comes to the well-being of the beauty of the UAE. It's already hard enough to keep foliage and animals healthy when temperatures are over 100 degrees fahrenheit for majority of the year while water proves to be scarce for majority of the country. It is up to the people of the UAE to maintain their country and keep it looking beautiful. 

4. Important Museums 

There are roughly 14 prominent museums scattered throughout the UAE. Majority of these museums are dedicated to the holy families that have run the UAE in it's long past. One of the more anticipated museums in the UAE is the Louvre Abu Dhabi, which will be completed in 2015. It is being designed by the same people that built the Louvre in Paris, France. It will solely be dedicated to classical art and is roughly 260,000 sq. feet in size.