Hospitality and Leisure in Dubai

Dubai is continuing in its bid to become the world’s leading destination for the hospitality and leisure industry.

The tourism industry in Dubai accounts for a rapidly growing percentage contribution to its economy. Tourists visiting Dubai were estimated at 2.9 million in 2006 and it is evident this is a 6.5% year on year growth.

Shopping is a huge pull for Westerners visiting Dubai. Dubai has the seventh largest shopping mall in the World. The largest malls in the world re the South China Mall and Jin Yuan. The Dubai Mall is actually the largest in the Middle East and Europe. The Dubai Mall has 1200 shops at a size of 12.1 million square feet. To put that size in an easier context, it is the size of 50 football pitches. Quite simply, shop till you drop!

2007 recorded occupancy rates in Dubai hotels of 74% with the rates in 5 star hotels even higher at nearly 85%. This figure is predicted to rise for 2008. European guests staying in Dubai hotels accounted for 32% of the total number of hotel guests with American’s making up just 8%. The number of hotel rooms in Dubai is set to double with the construction of Bawadi by Tatweer in Dubailand. A state owned company are planning to build this site where it will hold 31 hotels, the highest concentration of leading hotels in the world. This, they say, is to cope with the 15 million tourists predicted to visit Dubai by 2010. Bawadi is also set to have over 100 theatres each showing live, cultural performances.

An interesting fact is that 30% of the total tourism visitors are those visiting for meetings, conferences and exhibitions. Dubai is becoming a popular area for businesses to exhibit, have offices and meet clients. There are endless exhibition halls and office space all of extremely high quality and with all facilities required.

Another lure to Dubai which is growing year on year is for the sporting facilities and events in Dubai. Dubai Sports City is a sprawling area of Dubai offering 50 million square feet of sporting venues which includes academies, football pitches and golf courses. Ernie Els has designed and constructed a championship standard golf course within Dubai Sports City whilst Manchester United and David Lloyd have built academies. As this is a self contained mini city, Dubai Sports City has exceptional Dubai property available, many apartments having views of the sporting developments. Also within the city are retail developments and many cultural activities.

As there is so much to see and do, visitors keep coming back and back. Many tourists are wanting to purchase their own piece of Dubai in the form of one the many exceptional Dubai properties. Dubai Sports City alone contains luxury developments including the Eagle Heights and Elite Sport Residences. Luxury Dubai property can be found throughout Dubai, even within shopping malls!