Dubai is developing dinosaur parks, race courses, snow slopes as well as many more ventures to boost tourism. Although Dubai is creating these attractions the desert remains the most popular playground. Things are certainly taking shape. The Palms are visibly growing, The World is spawning new islands at a rate of knots, Snow City is cooling and the hotel projects are firming up with names such as One&Only, Southern Sun, Armani, Jumeirah, Raffles, Banyan Tree, Rezidor, etc all confirming projects both on land and offshore.

The Park Hyatt, Al Murooj Rotana and Rotana Villa Suites, Grosvenor House West Marina Beach, plus Radisson SAS Dubai Media City are among the properties that opened in 2005. These projects dealt for the need of extra rooms and as the result Dubai rates have stabilized.

DOTW's General Manager, Bilal Saeed states that, "There had been a problem because of the lack of rooms but this summer has seen a sea change with rooms on free sale and this means rate rises will be curtailed to some degree."

According to Suresh Kumar Lalgee, Chairman of North Tours LLC, "Cost is becoming more of a factor as Dubai also competes with lower priced destinations such as Cairo, Istanbul and Prague".

He also added that, "If the budget is an issue and we are up against cheaper destinations, there is not much we can do, but Dubai has unique attractions that can overcome the financial factor."

While the price can be a constraint, particularly as hotel accommodation takes up much of any available budget, DMCs are becoming more creative in terms of what they offer to their clients.

"We are left with little to play with and have to maximize what we offer, but there is still demand," said Suresh Kumar Lalgee.

One recent incentive from Russia organized by Incentive Productions demonstrated that the fun and sand aspect that Dubai offers is excellent. The package included a 24-hour excursion for some 100 delegates involving a charted flight, 4X4 pick-up from the airport, dune bashing, champagne bar in the desert, banquet, fireworks, disco, overnight camping, wadi tours or shopping and a return to the airport.

Despite the focus on 'new' in the emirate, Mr. Suresh said "A newly revamped and upgraded desert campsite is proving a major draw, underlining the basic appeal of Dubai as a destination."

"The new camp which now looks more like a real heritage village is solidly built with an air-conditioned VIP lounge and majlis with multimedia facilities as well as new washrooms and showers for men and women, and it is just a five minute 4X4 transfer from the highway giving easy access for larger groups" He added.

Bigger and better but more of the same seems to be key to the growth of Dubai, and Mr. Suresh said his incentive team was focused on injecting more activities into the campsite as well as the usual treasure hunts, car rallies and camel safaris.

While we tailor-make all itineraries, a sample of our menu for the desert activities includes belly-dancing lessons, astronomy nights, music concerts, fire-blowers, magicians, fortune tellers and calligraphers, Gobo projection to light up the dunes and local music and dance performances.

A firm supporter of the tenet that the desert has no boundaries, Mr. Suresh emphasized the fact that Dubai is still unique in offering the combination of accessible desert and affordable luxury.

Dubai still shines. Many people have not been here for those that have been Dubai is always reinventing itself.

With competition on the horizon, from Jordan with its unique historical and natural resources to Doha, Abu Dhabi and Oman more locally, Mr. Suresh is keen to widen source markets in a bid to widen and deepen the strength of the lucrative MICE sector.

With new representatives in France, Benelux, Portugal and soon Spain we will see more business from these markets.

DOTW too is looking at new business streams, citing France, Portugal and Belgium as potential markets as well as the United States in the longer term.

"The doubling of Emirates New York flights will help build awareness in this area and we are investing in promotion at shows such as Chicago, to capitalise on the growing interest in FIT from the United States" said Aridi. In addition, Russia and China are completely new for us and there is great potential from these two countries, as well as from Japan."

Mr. Lalgee is also committed to broadening the Dubai product, with North Tours offering luxury yacht day trips, as well as luxury charter operations through its sister company, Rikks Cruises LLC.

This year, Arabia Horizon Tourism is also set to bring some big cruise ships for the winter season. They will be mooring the vessels in Dubai and offering a program of two and three day cruises to neighboring destinations such as Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Abu Dhabi.

"Given the problem with room allocations in Dubai in the short term, this is a real alternative for organizers who might consider adding a short cruise to their program" said Mr. Suresh.

The ship also widens the options for conference centres, which is ideal for group meetings.

While companies such as DOTW are committed to injecting creativity into all its MICE programs, Mr. Bilal reinforced the perception that Dubai still sells itself. "The Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing has done a good job in branding and promoting Dubai which makes our life easier," he said. Clients are seeking a crime-free, easy-going and cosmopolitan venue.

With the desert, and now the sea providing large resources and facilities Dubai seems set to continue its steady progress as a top MICE destination.

"Construction may now be an issue but clients can take a site inspection and decide at that stage whether to opt for those hotels located away from the major works," added Bilal.

Mr. Lalgee stressed that, "There is room to maneuver around the short-term building work."

Dubai can also sell itself as a gateway to Oman, but for many people Dubai is hot news and it makes sense to see what’s going on here.

"Our unique selling point is the future – we know that historic sights are not our strength, but the new Dubai is all about what can be achieved with vision, resources and determination," Mr Lalgee added.

Safety, cleanliness and a cosmopolitan lifestyle certainly complement the picture he paints for clients, but to convince the MICE industry that Dubai has a strong future, Mr. Lalgee is also keen to extend the variety of options on offer.

We can successfully combine Oman with Dubai as a Best of Two Worlds package. For instance we offer the Musandam fjords or East Coast beaches as day trips out of Dubai.

In addition, more companies are setting up in Dubai with strengths in areas such as team building or event management. As a result there is more business coming in to the emirate.

Exhibitions are also thriving; it has developed itself into a year round industry.Sports tourism seems to be the latest craze to hit Dubai.

Having tested the waters over the years with events such as the Dubai Desert Classic golf championship, ATP tennis tournaments, Dubai World Cup horse racing and powerboat racing, it is a natural progression that the construction of super-sized facilities in places such as Dubai Sports City (part of the Dubailand leisure development) will spawn a dedicated travel sector.

"It was logical that a new player in the market had something different to offer and as an enthusiastic golfer myself, I could see the potential for a specialist inbound operator that catered to the specific needs of the sports tourist and his or her partner," said Askary Khimjee, Director of Travelex Travel & Tours (The official agent for the Dubai Desert Classic).

As the only travel company in Dubai affiliated with the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, Travelex is already playing with the big boys, but there is no doubt that the names Montgomerie, Nicklaus, and others will see the emirate make its mark as a green destination of the future.

"We are looking at every aspect of the package, from the best green fees and tee times to city tours and desert safaris for non-playing partners, and also offer a variety of accommodation from Burj Al Arab down to cater to every budget. There is huge potential with just this one sport but we are also expanding to include other packages featuring the Dubai Rugby 7s for instance, as well as the tennis and A1 motor racing for the future." Mr Khimjee added.

This route to a new market is one also endorsed by Desert Adventures, which has also been receiving enquiries about the new Autodrome and the A1 Grand Prix series, as well as snow business.

This route to a new market is one also endorsed by Desert Adventures, which has also been receiving enquiries about the new Autodrome and the A1 Grand Prix series, as well as snow business.

It is evident that Dubai is still growing and when completed a totally new product will emerge. It is estimated that Dubai’s hospitality sector is currently catering to only around 60 per cent of demand, including both airline seats and hotel rooms.