Usually we're pretty critical when it comes to staged flash mobs, but trust us that this one is pure awesome.
It happened recently at Dubai International Airport, and the performers are meant to represent flight attendants, Dubai airport employees and passengers passing through. We're pretty sure they're all hired for the purpose, however.
Okay. No more talking. Just dancing.]]>
Chicago wants to copy the famous month-long Dubai Shopping Festival like a knock-off Prada bag. The Windy City plans on trying to lure shoppers from all over for its own shopping extravaganza.
The Magnificent Mile Shopping Festival won't be as grand as Dubai's; the world's most popular shopping fest draws more than 3 million shopaholics each year. Chicago's first-time event will be on a much smaller scale, only running for two weeks in the summer. ]]>
The Australian Outback is a one-of-a-kind place, but one economist warns that if it doesn't get a flashy face-lift in the vein of Dubai soon, tourism will plummet.
Aussie economics expert Ian Harper recently told the Australian Tourism Directions Conference that officials should focus on adding new hotels, larger airports and other tourist-drawing experiences. Otherwise, he predicted that the number of international tourists will drop in the next three years. One such tourist draw would be a hot-spot-in-the-desert, like Dubai. Though it's hard to imagine a "Dubai Outback" in the harsh yet beautiful terrain, which would displace the kangaroos and dingoes.
Nonetheless, it may be a real consideration, since Australia has experienced a downturn in tourism in recent years (that even Oprah can't make up for). The not-so-favorable exchange rate and the overall bad economic conditions have played a part, but Australia must also compete with its Asian neighbors for travelers.
What do you think? Would a Dubai Outback lure you to Australia?
[Photo: attawayjl]]]>
There’s nothing Dubai wants more than to succeed as a global vacation destination, and that’s especially true when it comes to luring western visitors out into the desert sun. Unfortunately every now and again there are reports of some extreme behavior when it comes to punishment for those that don’t live up to all the rules and standards within the Emirate.
The latest news involves a man getting sent to the slammer for doing something that several passengers probably do each day in especially aggravating airports like JFK and O’Hare. Apparently a British gentleman decided to flip the bird to an airport worker, after the airline employee refused to let him use some kind of customer service telephone. ]]>
Last week, a few tourists in Dubai got the surprise of a lifetime when they peered over the observation deck of the world’s tallest building and saw Tom Cruise dangling from only a wire, with no safety nets.
Cruise, who is notorious for doing all of his own stunt work, was shooting a scene for the upcoming movie, Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol, in which he chased another man around the outside of the 124th floor of the Burj Khalifa Tower in Dubai.
At a press conference held after the stunt was completed, Cruise said:]]>
As if Dubai needed another altar to excess, the city just debuted the region's first Hershey's Chocolate World.
Not only is this the first Middle East location, but it's also the largest Hershey's store after the flagship in Hershey, Pensylvania. Yep—it even beats the Hershey's Chocolate World in Times Square, New York City. And even though it can't be the largest, the Dubai Mall location makes up for this by displaying some other superlatives: ]]>
What a beautiful new building Dubai has; it's just too bad that ever since they officially opened the 200+ story (160 of them habitable) Burj Khalifa tower as the tallest building in the world, they've barely been able to use it. After the 124-floor observation deck opened at the beginning of January, it soon experienced electrical problems which trapped visitors in an elevator over 1,000 feet up. This prompted the closure of the only open-to-tourists part of the building until now; the Observation Deck reopened over this last weekend, and is again welcoming those who can resist vertigo enough to look out across the Emirates on a clear day. The Armani Hotel still isn't open, so you can't yet sleep inside of the tower either.
To get access to the observation deck, you have two options: reserve online for timed tickets (you get one hour at the top) for 100 AED ($27) per person or walk up to tower during open hours for immediate entry at a cost of 400 AED ($109) per person.
And even though you're paying quite a bit for your 124-floor visit, it's too bad you don't get to experience the world's highest mosque, found on the 158th floor, closer to Allah!
Related Stories:
· Observatory at Burj Khalifa, world's tallest tower, reopens after being closed for two months [Chicago Tribune]
· Dubai's Armani Hotel at the Burj Khalifa Will Try to Open April 21 [HotelChatter]
· Dubai Travel [Jaunted]
[Photo: HDWallpapers]]]>