Sustainable Tourism Development: Dubai

Guest Lecture University of Trier:

"Dubai -- The Tourism of the Future?"

The University of Trier is one of the top German institutes in the field of leisure and tourism geography. Offering diploma, bachelor and master programmes, the university has reached a high degree of recognition over the years. While the bachelor degree focusses on human geography, the master degree in tourism development and destination management will start next autumn.

University of Trier


As part of the curriculum, external guest lectures provide the students with an insight into the practical fields of tourism management. Led since 2007 by Prof. Dr. Andreas Kagermeier since, the chair of leisure and tourism geography emphasises the application of the theoretical background in every day work life.

Last week, I had the pleasure of being invited to give a guest lecture about a highly interesting topic: "Dubai -- The Tourism of the Future?"

Cover Page of the Presentation

Dubai is presently considered one of the most exciting and fastest growing tourism destinations world-wide. After having given an introductory overview of the UAE, the lecture focused on the history of tourism and commerce development of the small Emirate since the discovery of oil in the late 1960s. This way, it was made clear that the current success of Dubai did not happen by chance, but is the result of long-term strategy and vision of the leaders.

However, the artificial world Dubai is creating through an amazing array of shining, innovative and record-breaking new projects does not go without negative impacts. An assessment of the sustainability of Dubai’s tourism model showed a number of weaknesses in terms of socio-cultural, economic and ecological aspects. Especially the impact on the environment is tremendous, with the United Arab Emirates scoring extremely low e.g. in the Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008 by the World Economic Forum.

WEF T&T Competitiveness Report 2008


The English lecture was met by an active and interested group of 20 bacherlor and master students. The discussions focussed also on the impact that the impacts of the current financial and economic crisis has on Dubai: real estate prices are falling, projects are put on hold and investors are becoming increasingly hesitant.

The student feedback to the first-hand insights from the industry were consistently positive and showed the great interest for the destination Dubai, its current positioning but also its way into the future.

Lecture Feedback Part 1

The opinions and reactions towards Dubai's tourism development model illustrate the controversy that the establishment of an artificial luxury tourism destination can create.

Lecture Feedback Part 2

In any case, it will be highly interesting to follow the events and activities in the upcoming months -- they will show whether Dubai is really the tourism destination of the future.


Andreas Hauser