Dubai is in which the modern and ancient cultures meet. Dubai is the city where you can stare at the Architectural art that led to the towering modern buildings and then in 5 minutes you'll be strolling along the small streets in the Dubai gold souk. Desert safari in Dubai is the important MICE location with modern conference facilities and luxury city hotels where major international companies and business travelers gather all over the world for elaborate exhibitions and lengthy discussions.

But Dubai is also a popular holiday destination for families with children who can enjoy a week in the Jebel Ali Resort or Sheraton Dubai Beach Resort.

Dubai is a fantastic tourist destination for tourist and the business-minded. Dubai has so much to offer by way of things to do, hotels and infrastructure to name but the few. Kids love Dubai because there are many great activities held for children every day in either any of Dubai's hotels, or at one of the tourist's attractions such as the wild water park. Not to worry for mom and dad since they'll have plenty of opportunities to have fun at one of the many things to do or events happening every day. The various Dubai tour operators offer many different activities which may include jeep safari's , snowboarding down the sand dunes and skiing in the just opened Dubai inside ski resort.

Dubai has achieved the Valhalla status of tourism destinations. It's difficult to find a place in the world which has had an increase in tourism revenue and arrivals. Dubai has become one of the top global trendsetters when it comes to travel and tourism. However Dubai knows as no other the speed at which a destination will reach the top, and how quickly it can be deemed unpopular by travelers and meeting planners.

Dubai is continuing to heavily invest into the Dubai tourism industry . There is a lot of capital expenditures on infrastructure, new Dubai resorts, and a series of spectacular tourist attractions which are in the process of being built or are under plans. The soon to be opened underwater hotel is only a example of what planners in Dubai are up to.

The constant investment by the financial community and the government should normally guarantee its position as one of the most popular international destinations for tourists However, there's a different aspect that is a key factor in the success of Dubai.

Many visitors are expressing their disgust with the big price increases which hotel rooms in Dubai are implementing each season. Dubai was never a popular destination for people on a budget but certain hotels are now charging ridiculous rates for their rooms. It is important that Dubai hotel owners should not become greedy and arrogant and make themselves look cheap. Many destinations in the past have seen this happen which resulted in the popularity of these destinations falling quite rapidly.

Nearby countries like Oman as well as Qatar are experiencing their popularity among international tourists expanding rapidly, and more hotels and other facilities are being built even though both have many high-end hotels. The other Emirates that, together with Dubai forms The United Arab Emirates, are seeing their tourism industries growing at warp speed. Abu Dhabi has a large number of resorts, hotels and hotels and more are being constructed. The most expensive hotel the world to be built is actually it's the Emirates Palace which is owned by the Abu Dhabi government and is managed by 

Kempinski. There are increasingly fantastic alternatives to Dubai in the region and typically at much lower cost so the policy makers should be aware of this.

Dubai has poured all of their efforts and money in the field of tourism. The result is stunning. However , as the supply of oil is predicted to be depleted in the near future, it could mean the fact that Dubai has put the majority of their eggs into one basket. Dubai is highly dependent on the hospitality and tourism business which can result in unfavorable circumstances.

Dubai is unfortunately not located in a highly stable area of the world. Because of the ongoing problems that neighboring countries face with one and other such as Israel, Iraq, Iran and Syria, it is difficult to anticipate the future. In the event of an emergency, a nearby country can completely disrupt tourism and can be catastrophic for Dubai and its employees.

A perfect example of a destination which suffered deeply as it had only the tourism industry to rely on is Bali. I was employed there prior to the big financial crisis hit South East Asia during the final months of 1997. In 1997, the Island of the gods featured extremely high occupancies and high average room rates. Many new hotels were being constructed as Bali was a gold-mining area at that time. It was the playground of tourists from around the globe. Jet set. Since the crisis hit in 1997, Bali has not been able to draw meeting planners or the huge amount of tourists that they were once used to. A lot of locals lost their source of income, and a large number of investors lost their lifesaving. Many hotels are up for sale with no serious buyers.

Off course Dubai is situated in a different part of the globe however a number of factors that led to Bali to disappear as major tourist destination might be present in Dubai. The religious fanatics that hit Bali may shift their attention elsewhere and Dubai along with its Western tourists do stand out slightly. This is just one attach and the tourism industry could take a hit that may not be able to recover from.

Also, after speaking to many Dubai tourists as well as those living as well in Dubai I've put together a list of items which would be great for improvement and will surely delight many visitors.

Stop the discrimination in pricing which charges Arabs and the former Soviet Union nations more then western Europeans and Asians. This policy has upset a great number of travelers and this does not happen at all in Qatar and Oman for example.

* Because of the number of hotels being opened or set to open in the near future There is a risk that the standard of the hotel staff may decrease. The customers are complaining more about the level of service they receive at the Dubai hotels. Many guests feel that the management and the hotels are somewhat arrogant and not flexible when it comes to fixing any issue that guests might have.

* Dubai is one of the strictest cancellation policies of any city in the world. It is not uncommon that hotels charge 100% cancellation fee, even if the client has cancelled within a week of. The hotels should understand that this will finally become an argument for travellers not to travel. One week of vacation at beach hotel is likely to cost anywhere from 300-5000 USD and if they need to cancel due to an emergency in the family, that could be a very expensive cancellation charge that the resort has to keep.

Some hotels in Dubai are not able to offer generous children's policies as parents typically have to pay kid supplement on top of the cost of room. The majority of places that I have worked at follow the policy that two children under 12 could share the room with parents as provided that no bedding was required. A large number of Dubai hotels allow only one child to stay in the room. Therefore, a family with 2 small children are required to take 2 rooms. This is a problem for families and which are turning them away as they must stay with their children in one room.

* Dropping visa requirement for certain nationalities. The countries that entered the EU some time ago, like Malta and Czech Republic still require a visa, whereas other member countries of the EU do not require one. In addition, the nearby countries of Lebanon as well as Egypt for instance still require a visa which is very complicated for last minute meeting and business trips.