Destination description – Dubai
Dubai is a magical place, springing up in the Arabian desert and full of ambition. It is a modern city with mega malls, the tallest buildings, and artificial islands (the largest in the world). The scenic site has perfect beach weather between November and January; a scorching experience is expected during summer. The incredible destination is the world’s leading tourism center; therefore, tourism is the primary source of revenue. The main attraction sites include; Dubai’s old culture and economic development (Anthonisz & Mason, 2019). Based on culture, Dubai can be split into two halves Bur Dubai and Deira. In Bur Dubai, there are building linings that provide a flavor of the old city. Historical Dubai is represented by Heritage Village, with some old preserved buildings, whereas the Diving Village provides a pearl diving site and fishing points (Farooq, Seraphim, and Medhekar, 2021). Other attraction sites are Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House and Museum in the famous Al Fahidi Fort.
According to Dubai’s tourism infographics, it receives approximately 10 million tourists annually, which keeps growing (Khudhair and Mardani, 2021). However, the number of tourists in 2020 decreased due to the Covid-19 pandemic that struck the world and travel restrictions by various nations. In 2022, Dubai received approximately 8.1 million tourists within the first seven months, surpassing the total number of tourists recorded in 2021. By the end of 2022, the number is expected to double.
Location on Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC) model, and if/how this has changed over time
Tourism area life cycle (TALC) provides a conceptual basis through which a destination analysis can be done to show that they solely follow a relatively consistent development process as well as a cycle that can be recognized (George, 2022). In addition, the model assumes that a threshold is achieved either sooner or later. Such a tourist attraction site is perceived to have depreciated in desirability. Furthermore, the model suggests that the gradual development of a destination brings about a change in physical and sociocultural environments that impact the host community’s attitudes. TALC has various stages: exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, decline, and rejuvenation (An and Jang, 2020, p. 60). The TALC model can be instrumental in determining and indicating the state of Dubai’s long-term sustainability.
Based on TALC analysis, Dubai is currently in the consolidation stage. In the consolidation phase, tourism constitutes most of the local economy (Singh, 2021, p. 220). Regardless of how the rate of tourists has declined, the statistics show a favorable rate, such that the number of tourists exceeds the number of permanent residents. One common characteristic of the consolidation phase is the deterioration of the quality of life and the negative impact felt by the residents due to tourism; Dubai is not an exemption. There are various negative impacts developed due to tourism activities, and they constitute environmental, sociocultural, and economic impacts. In the consolidation stage, the negative attitudes among the residents are more substantial than in the other stages (Scarpi, Confente, and Russo, 2022, p. 103472). Commonly, the negative attitudes range from annoyance to resentment and then antagonism. The negative impacts in Dubai are not favorable and safe for the residents and visitors.
Marketing and advertisements tend to be mouthwatering to visitors from other continents, so the negative impacts imposed on previous visitations do not matter (George, 2021, p. 450). In some instances, the number of tourists and provisions may arouse opposition and discontentment from the permanent residents that are not concerned with the tourist industry (Heye and Nadkarni, 2020, p. 10). According to an Expo, there are chances of a rejuvenation occurrence; this is due to the results and contributions of tourism that may have a long-lasting negative impact on sociocultural and environmental conditions within Dubai (Khudhair and Mardani, 2021). However, there is a high growth rate in the economic status of Dubai, and seamlessly, it will contain itself and maintain its paramount tourist attraction reputation in the Middle East.
Current sustainability position of the destination
As one of the most substantial pillars of its economic growth, Dubai aims to receive more visitors yearly by setting tangible targets for sustainable development. The sustainable vision of transforming Dubai into a Green Economy with a mission of making sustainable development is backed up by the Vice President of the region, HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al Maktoum, among other leaders. A docket formulated known as Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) involves both the public and the private sectors and civil society.
Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) mainly focuses on contributing to the broader clean energy and aiming at sustainable development. DST embeds sustainability principles into all tourism-related aspects. In addition, the organ combines all the economic stakeholders, especially those involved in the tourism industry. The efforts of developing DST are a holistic approach with a common goal of achieving the long-term sustainability of the economy. Analogously, the initiative’s strategic plan has four main targets: energy efficiency, environmental conservation and protection, education and making awareness, and finally, engaging all sectors, both the tourist-related industries and those that are not. The sustainability targets listed are suitable and universal as they embody sociocultural development, environmental conservation, and economic development, through which tourism in Dubai will be impactful by mitigating climate change and promoting sustainability.
Tourism impacts
Economic
Define economic sustainability
Economic sustainability may be defined as the practices developed to support long-term economic growth by conserving natural and financial resources for economic stability without negatively affecting the community environmentally, socially, or culturally. Economic sustainability mainly involves balancing economic growth and profit generation with environmental impacts and people (Streimikiene et al., 2020, p. 611). Due to its importance, economic sustainability is also integrated into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which tend to provide a manual for creating stable growth and sustainability for governments and countries worldwide.
Describe impacts (examples: GDP, numbers of arrivals, leakages/MNCs, investment, growth strategies, taxes, employment, costs of living, etc.)
The tourism industry has been designated as a growth sector for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to its capabilities in economic diversification. For instance, in 2015, the tourism industry contributed approximately US$36.43 billion to the country’s total GDP. This represents about 8.7% of the total GDP. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2016, there was a 4.4% growth rate, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government received approximately US$64 from the tourism industry (Ozdemir and Erol, 2020, p. 1550). It is expected that the figure will have doubled by 2026 (10 years later).
The growth of the tourist industry generates many job opportunities for international and local citizens. The key beneficiaries of these opportunities are the hotels, airlines, and other transportation sectors. According to WTTC, in 2015, the industry supported approximately 300 000 jobs (up to 5.7% of total employment in the country), and in 2016, the job opportunities rose by 3.8%. It is projected that by 2026, there will be 500,000 job opportunities. Furthermore, the restaurants and leisure industries are beneficiaries of the tourism industry. In 2015, 557,000 job opportunities were generated from the tourism industry, which accounts for 9.6% of the total UAE workforce. The total workforce in 2016 rose by 3.8%, 578,000 jobs, and it is projected that in 2026, the number will have risen to 12.4% of the total, which approximates 800,000 jobs.
According to Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC), the number of visitors has been rising at an average of 8.7% per annum. Furthermore, according to WTTC, there is an indication that by 2026, the growth trajectory will have shot up further, thus making the industry more impactful to the growth of the UAE (Safari et al., 2022, p. 1630). Recent reports say that new developments and mega projects are underway, which translates to growth forecasts and predictions of the sector being conservative. When the projects that are underway are completed, according to the previous reports, the number of visitors visiting Dubai will have increased.
Sociocultural
Define social sustainability and cultural sustainability
Social responsibility refers to the process through which sustainable and prosperous platforms are created to promote the wellbeing of individuals by having an understanding of their needs from their workplaces and homes. The occurrence of social sustainability is said to exist when both formal and informal processes, distinct structures, systems, and relationships support the survival of individuals in the current and future generations (Schönborn et al., 2019, p. 6). On the other hand, Cultural sustainability revolves around maintaining cultural beliefs, practices, and heritage conservations. The importance of cultural sustainability can be viewed within the limits of influential power and beliefs that heavily measure societal decisions.
Describe the impacts
Social ramifications from economic expansion through increased tourism activities are conspicuous. Economic modernization and financial improvements in Dubai have led to an acceleration in population. On the other hand, tourism leading to developmental prosperity, has brought significant social and cultural impacts. Some impacts include housing, urbanization, cultural and heritage erosion, and employment. Furthermore, the negative impacts are a result of conflicts between the permanent residents and the tourists. However, the impacts are mainly brought up by the tourists that cause resentment to the host communities. Increase in crime such as robbery, theft, street prostitution, drug abuse, and illegal gambling are among the negative social impacts, which are as a result of criminal gangs whose main intention is moving in the region to exploit the tourists.
The features of migrant housing patterns in the Gulf regions reveal the social ramifications as a result of the increased population due to urbanization and economic liberalization (Maxim, 2020, p. 25). Among the characteristics include, temporary construction workers reside in camps at the periphery of the city, single rooms that are shared by several people are shared by either the unskilled migrants or the semi-skilled ones, these rooms were owned by indigenous individuals, increase in suburb villas and residential buildings, older houses serving as homes for the lower middle-class individuals and secure and well-built houses for the expatriate communities.
There is a rise of social distinctions that results into ethnicity and discrimination of the poor by the expatriate communities who are well-of. In addition, tourism has, by a bigger factor, cemented ethnicity in terms of Western and non-Western communities (Alipour and Galal Ahmed, 2021, p. 15). Neo-colonialism has taken the mantle in various places in Dubai, for instance in the recreational facilities and in sports where they represent civic characteristics. Analogously, the social stratification system among the permanent residents and the tourists is not cohesive, and this results in skewed perceptions about the visitors, hatred may easily come through this state.
There is a rise of tribal and territorial differences between the UAE nationals and other low-income nationals such that there exist variations in forms of citizenship. Tourism further introduced division among nationals resulting into different social groups based on ethnicity, they include, lower-income groups, the merchant class, new middle class and the ruling families (Szromek, Kruczek, and Walas, 2019, p. 228). The lower income groups are regarded as poor peasants who does informal jobs such as drivers and farmers, the merchants on the other hand are still down in the hierarchy, however they are dealers in international consumer goods, the new middle class are the second from the top, they are characterized by learned individuals and professionals that have beneficiaries of free education, lastly, the expatrtes or the ruling families are at the top of the hierarchy, they are mainly characterized by individuals holding highest political positions.
Culturally, Dubai is an Islamic zone just like other Middle East cities, tourism has had an impact on this, through the rise of modernization and urbanization. Historical cities and local heritage have faced constant threats from the developing nations. However, there are some proactive initiatives underway to revive the culture, especially in the aesthetically conducive parts that can further attract the tourists. These efforts, however, are however being challenged by the lack of local life and social continuity, which tend to create a disconnection from the Emirati cultural life. Historical buildings have been destroyed in an attempt to restore some parts of Dubai. Notably, approximately 2500 historical buildings have been destroyed, with only 300 out of the total surviving.
Museums being part of the tourist circuit in Dubai are not mainly considered in the tourism industry as the main focus is not overtly on the cultural heritage (Zaidan, 2019, p. 577). Vernacular and indigenous architecture in Dubai have been dominated by modern buildings, as a result, the demise of older architecture has been experienced. Currently, Dubai’s image as a tourist attraction site does not reflect its cultural identity, this reduces the sense of prestige. It can be concluded that the scarcity of heritage that represents major historical events and tradition have societal repercussions.
Environmental
Define environmental sustainability
Environmental sustainability is defined as the proactive process of preserving natural resources and conserving ecosystems with an end goal of promoting health and supporting human health, in the present day and in the future. Environmental regulations are an important aspect of sustainability, tangible standards for quality water and air should be set in order to achieve a long-lasting environmental sustainability. Threats to environmental wellness are all over and almost every industry is a suspect of environmental misconduct. Multinational companies have shown efforts of effectively limiting emissions and effluents that threaten the environment, however, this is only paid attention to countries where regulations are strict, whereas in those that guidelines are lenient, emissions are not controlled.
Describe impacts
Rapid economic development in Dubai has contributed to serious environmental challenges due to the rise to the rise of population. The rise in population is directly proportional to the increased demand for air, energy and water. In addition, high population leads to a fast-paced urban development that induces high levels of effluent gas emissions. According to a report by the Living Planet, Dubai has the highest ecological footprint. Dubai having a higher ecological footprint simply means that sustainability within that region is not balanced with the use of natural resources such as air and water per person per capita.
Tourism in Dubai has caused land degradation and desertification through man-made factors such as an increased population. Increased human activities tend to decrease the soil quality and degrade land utility through consumption systems. Desertification on the other hand is promoted by drought and over-exploitation of scarce natural resources (Elgaali, Ziadat, and Alzyoud, 2019, p. 3). As seen earlier, tourism leads to development of urban encroachment that directly exerts pressure on natural resources, contributes to soil deterioration. Dubai being in desert-like land, excessive manipulation by human activities leads to drought that threatens the lives of million individuals, sustainable development is highly affected, as there are increased instances of poverty, poor health, food insecurity, decrease in biodiversity, scarcity of water among other catastrophic issues.
Air pollution has also been promoted by energy, water and transport activities in Dubai. Ambient air quality has been challenged mostly by the transport industry which in Dubai is famous and has expanded. Combustion of fuel from airplanes and other means of transport continually emit some poisonous gas and therefore keeping air quality within the required standards becomes a challenge. Additionally, Dubai’s per capita waste generation is among the highest in the world, which after high accumulation, the waste ends up in mere landfills. Waste generation is caused by an increased population, that goes back to the drawing board which is tourism.
Current management plans and which impacts they alleviate/manage: carrying capacity measures, visitor management methods, impacts assessments, codes of conduct, etc…
Dubai has pledged to be proactive in reaching a net zero carbon emission in the near future, specifically, it announced that by 2050, carbon emissions will have ended. An investment of approximately $163 billion has been put in place for the development of clean and renewable energy among other zero carbon emission technologies. Currently, there is significant progress in urban infrastructure that is aimed at diversification and change from a hydrocarbons-focused economy to a green-energy based economy (Panagopoulos and Haralambous, 2020, p.111773). In order to curb Dubai’s per capita water consumption, bearing in mind that there is water scarcity, there are plans underway to utilize desalinated seawater in order to meet the high water demand.
The leadership of Dubai recognizes that economic growth and environment conservation can be pursued and achieved together. The leadership has proactively welcomed ideas and steps aimed at mitigating the negative environmental impacts. In addition, the government has adopted several policies and strategies of addressing the aggressive causes and impacts of climate change, air quality improvement, mitigating the emission of greenhouse gasses, and curbing food and water insecurity and natural resources conservation.
Assess where further management strategies are needed
Clean tech and environmental technologies further needs further research and management strategies are required. Although a very rewarding and promising future by integrated form of energy, great losses as well are likely to be experienced especially when done incorrectly or mismanaged. Waste to energy projects which are underway needs ultimate managerial strategies considering that this is a new technology on trial. Waste to energy power plants that are aimed at reducing landfills as a result of waste generation and decreasing carbon (IV) oxide emissions. One waste to energy power plant is expected to process approximately 950,000 metric tons of landfills, power that is sufficient for more than 30,000 homes.
Conclusion
Tourism in Dubai is a great asset for economic growth and expansion, positioning the city to be among the most developed cities in the world. The number of tourists visiting Dubai is expected to rise further by 2026, in fact it is projected that the number will double. Urbanization due to an increased population has been experienced, and is expected to rise according to the 2026 projects. However, Tourism has some negative sociocultural and environmental factors that lead to suffering for both the tourists and permanent residents. Among the sociocultural negative impacts as a result of high population growth are social evils such as crimes, prostitution, robbery, theft among others. Conversely, tourism has promoted tribal and ethnicity that indirectly leads to discrimination towards the minority groups. Culturally, tourism has led to erosion of Emirati culture, which is an important aspect of their heritage. Analogously, environmental negative impacts of tourism in Dubai have led to human life being endangered by all forms of pollution, from water to air pollution. Currently, mitigation measures that are being developed and others are already operational are timely and perfect, they are expected to improve the environmental risks and pollution. Finally, tourists have been facing insecurity challenges from individuals pretending to have come to visit various places. Therefore, there is a need for increasing security in Dubai.
References
Farooq, H.A.Q., Seraphim, J. and Medhekar, A., 2021. Branding heritage tourism in Dubai: A qualitative study. Advances in Hospitality and Tourism Research (AHTR).
Yas, H., Mardani, A., Albayati, Y.K., Lootah, S.E. and Streimikiene, D., 2020. The Positive Role of the Tourism Industry for Dubai City in the United Arab Emirates. Contemporary Economics, 14(4), pp.601-617.
Anthonisz, A. and Mason, G., 2019. Reinventing tourism: the Dubai phenomenon. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes.
Maxim, C., 2020. Challenges of world tourism cities: London, Singapore and Dubai. In Routledge Handbook of Tourism Cities (pp. 19-30). Routledge.
Khudhair, H.Y. and Mardani, A., 2021. The positive role of the tourism industry for Dubai city in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Economics and Management Systems, 6.
George, R., 2021. Marketing Tourism Destinations. In Marketing Tourism and Hospitality (pp. 447-484). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
An, Y. and Jang, Y., 2020. Applying the tourist life cycle concept to the evolution of commercial areas using density, diversity, and land price. 관광연구저널, 34(4), pp.55-74.
Szromek, A.R., Kruczek, Z. and Walas, B., 2019. The attitude of tourist destination residents towards the effects of overtourism—Kraków case study. Sustainability, 12(1), p.228.
Gore, S., Borde, N., Hegde-Desai, P. and George, B., 2022. A structured literature review of the tourism area life cycle concept.
Singh, S., 2021. Time, tourism area ‘life-cycle,’evolution and heritage. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 16(2), pp.218-229.
Zaidan, E., 2019. Cultural-based challenges of the westernised approach to development in newly developed societies. Development in Practice, 29(5), pp.570-581.
Alipour, S.M. and Galal Ahmed, K., 2021. Assessing the effect of urban form on social sustainability: a proposed ‘Integrated Measuring Tools Method’for urban neighborhoods in Dubai. City, Territory and Architecture, 8(1), pp.1-21.
Khudhair, H.Y. and Mardani, A., 2021. The positive role of the tourism industry for Dubai city in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Economics and Management Systems, 6.
Scarpi, D., Confente, I. and Russo, I., 2022. The impact of tourism on residents’ intention to stay. A qualitative comparative analysis. Annals of Tourism Research, 97, p.103472.
Elgaali, E., Ziadat, A.H. and Alzyoud, S., 2019, March. Environmental effects of new developments in the coastal zones of Dubai. In 2019 Advances in Science and Engineering Technology International Conferences (ASET) (pp. 1-4). IEEE.
Saleh, A.S., Bassil, C. and Safari, A., 2022. Tourism research for the GCC region: Current status and future research directions. Tourism Economics, 28(6), pp.1626-1646.
Ozdemir, A.I., Ar, I.M. and Erol, I., 2020. Assessment of blockchain applications in the travel and tourism industry. Quality & Quantity, 54(5), pp.1549-1563.
Heyes, A. and Nadkarni, S., 2020. Brand Dubai: sustaining its luxury image. In Sustainable destination branding and marketing: strategies for tourism development (pp. 1-11). Wallingford UK: CABI.
GELIL, I.A., GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES. FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ARAB COUNTRIES, p.150.
Schönborn, G., Berlin, C., Pinzone, M., Hanisch, C., Georgoulias, K. and Lanz, M., 2019. Why social sustainability counts: The impact of corporate social sustainability culture on financial success. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 17, pp.1-10.
Panagopoulos, A. and Haralambous, K.J., 2020. Environmental impacts of desalination and brine treatment-Challenges and mitigation measures. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 161
write