United Arab Emirates
WT/TPR/S/XX Page 124
164. Dubai's traditional niche tourism activities have been in shopping, leisure, and business tourism. More recently, its market has been expanding to include sports, eco, healthcare, and cruise tourism. More than 30 entertainment resorts and theme parks are being developed in Dubai with a projected investment of AED 228 billion; they include the Dubai metro; Dubailand; Dubai Sports City; Burj Dubai; and the World.165 165. Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has been responsible for the development and promotion of Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry since 2004.166 The ADTA’s activities include: the regulation and monitoring of the tourism industry; infrastructure upgrade and product development; destination marketing; the issuance of tourism licences; and the setting up of classification standards. Tourism in Abu Dhabi is regulated by Law No. 13 of 2006, which requires tourism business providers to obtain a licence from the ADTA in order to set up any tourist-related business. 166. Business tourism remains a vitally important market segment for Abu Dhabi, and the ADTA is engaged in increasing the significance of leisure tourism and establishing Abu Dhabi as a regional culture hub. The emirate's culture focus is centred on Saadiyat Island (the Island of Happiness), an AED 99.3 billion commercial, residential, and leisure project off the coast of Abu Dhabi. The project is developed by the Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), a large developer of major tourism destinations in Abu Dhabi. The project will house the first branch of the Louvre Museum outside Paris, a Guggenheim Museum, and the Sheikh Zayed National museum. The island is expected to attract 1.5 million visitors a year when completed by 2018 and will be home to around 160,000 people. 167. Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Um Alquain, and Fujairah have been promoting their tourism sectors with strong campaigning to develop the industry and attract more tourists. The major attractions of these emirates are heritage, architecture, natural landscapes, leisure, sports, and facilities for business conferences and exhibitions. 168. Most tourism advertising campaigns are launched individually by the emirates. The UAE Government has started to raise awareness of the country by promoting the complementary tourist attractions of its emirates through a campaign of "seven emirates, one destination". The main markets for visitors to the UAE continue to cover traditional countries in Western Europe and the GCC, while new markets are being explored in North America, China, and the Asian sub-continent. The UAE aims to expand its tourist base through the development of budget and mid-range hotels as well as luxury hotels. 169. In its GATS commitments, the UAE has bound without limitations, provision of hotel and restaurant services through modes 1 to 3. Commercial presence is permitted with a maximum foreign equity participation of 49%.
165
For a detailed account of Dubai's resorts and theme parks, see WTO (2006), p. 71. Also see: http://www.definitelydubai.com/. 166 Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority online information. Viewed at: http://www.visitabudhabi.ae/en/adta.