Travel Geography: A Case Study of Dubai and London

This report provides an analysis of how climate, human activities, and geographical characteristics influence tourism in Dubai and London. It compares and contrasts the two cities and explores what makes them appealing to tourists and holidaymakers.

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TRAVEL GEOGRAPHY: A CASE STUDY OF DUBAI AND LONDON
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Introduction
The population of people in urban areas has risen across the world thereby making cities to
become global economic hubs (Timothy, 2018). Urban centers whether coastal or inland cities,
are drivers of innovation, growth, and recreation which continue to attract more people to live,
explore, do business, and enjoy their natural paranoma. According World Travel and Tourism
Council (2018), cities are considered as the global travel catalysts driving significant
improvement in travel and tourism, both within the city and the wider country at large. In this
report, the analysis takes into consideration London in United Kingdom and Dubai in United
Arab Emirates. Also, the report provides an in depth analysis of how climate, human activities,
and geographical characteristics influence tourism for both London and Dubai. Furthermore, it
illustrates what make London and Dubai appealing to both holidaymakers and tourists. Finally, it
compares and contrasts London and Dubai considering how these similarities and differences
affect tourism.
The Impact of Climate, Demographic and Geographical characteristics on Dubai and London
Case Study of Dubai
Dubai lies in the Arabian Peninsula at the eastern coast and to the Arabian Gulf at the south-west
(Government of Dubai, 2019). Dubai is considered the second largest city in the United Arab
Emirates after the city of Abu Dhabi covering an approximately 4114 square km of urban area
thereby representing 5% of United Arab Emirates total area with a coastal stretch of about 72 km
of length (Abuelgasim & Daiban, 2017). However, the city is deemed to expand by twice its size
especially with the addition of man-made islands such as the three Palms, the Universe, the
Waterfront, the desert construction and the Dubai land (Zaidan, 2016). Notably, Dubai is situated
between coordinate 25°16′ N and coordinate 55°18′ East sharing boarder with Sharjah to the

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northeast, Abu Dhabi to the south, and Oman Sultanate to the southeast (Government of Dubai,
2019). Also, Dubai is situated within the Arabian Desert directly, however, its topography is
substantially different compared to the United Arab Emirates southern parts since it is covered
by sandy desert patterns as compared to the gravel deserts that dominate most of the country’s
southern region (Bagaeen, 2007).
The United Arab Emirates is crossed by the Tropic of Cancer thereby making the Dubai’s
weather to be both sunny and warm (Travel Agents, 2019). As a result, Dubai experiences
tropical desert climatic features. For instance, in winter Dubai has an estimated 250C of daytime.
Besides, the humidity at the coastal areas can be an approximate average of 50% to 60 %
( Government of Dubai, 2019). However, in summer Dubai’s weather is very hot and humid
with temperatures up to mid-40’s degrees Celsius (Knox, Marston, &Imort, 2013). At the sea
during summer the temperature can be up to 37oC, with over 90% average humidity. As result,
summers in Dubai are regarded as very hot since there is 29.7oC overnight flows while winters
are warm with an estimate of 14oC overnight flows. Besides, Dubai experiences infrequent
rainfall which lasts a short time. It mostly rains in winter in the form of occasional thunderstorm
and short gushes. In a year, it can rain for an average of five days (Travel Agents, 2019).
However, according to Government of Dubai (2019), there has been an increase in precipitation
in Dubai within the last few decades thereby accumulating 87.3 mm of rain in a year.
According to the census of 2013 conducted by the Statistics Centre of Dubai, Dubai’s population
is approximated at 2.3 million. However, by 2018 the population of Dubai was estimated at
3.137 million with the males constituting three quarter of its population. The city is a
multicultural society with only about 5% local Emiratis while the rest are worlds expatriates
majorly Indians supplying Dubai with cheap labour and filling professional positions. Also, the

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other nationalities are from different Arabic nations with a significant number from Iranians
especially after the 1979 Islamic revolution. Moreover, high demand for workers especially in
tourism sector has attracted numerous people from China, Malaysia, and Philippines. Dubai is,
therefore, considered the capital of the economy of UAE.
Dubai as a Tourist and Holidaymakers Destination
Dubai is ranked number six as the most visited city in the world (World Travel and Tourism
Council, 2018). There are several amenities that attract tourist, holidaymakers as well as business
travelers to Dubai. First, Dubai has some of the top world luxurious hostels which offer guests
five-star experiences (Travel Agents, 2019). Tourists and holidaymakers have a variety of
choices hotels and restaurants while discovering the taste of Dubai. Secondly, the city offers a
cosmopolitan lifestyle accompanied with emirate local culture. Furthermore, Dubai offers plenty
of things tourist and holidaymakers love to enjoy. First, tourist can marvel at the beautiful
modern Arabic architecture such as Burj Khalifa-the tallest building (Smith, 2008) on earth
hosting restaurants, hotels, bars as well as residential units; Burj Al Arab located on a man-made
island towards Jumeirah Beach, Cayan Tower- majestically designed with 75-story twisted 90o),
Atlantis, The Palm combining five-star hotels and Aqua-venture water park, the Opus, the Dubai
Frame, Gevora Hotel, the Green Planet, the Museum of the Future, and Five Palm Jumeirah
Dubai.
In addition, visitors can swim with dolphins as they have a taste of a day at the waterpark. Also,
Dubai desert adventure appeals to many visitors with her 4x4 Dune Bashing, camel Riding, Sand
boarding, Speedboat Tour of Atlantis, Marina, Palm and Burj Ala Arab as well as underwater
Zoo and Dubai Aquarium (Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, 2019).
Furthermore, the Dubai Fountain is an awe-inspiring show at downtown Dubai Centre where

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visitors witness water dance. The dancing water show is known to jet water streams 150m high
in the air illuminating jet sways and different musical numbers across the world. Dubai is famous
for its glamour and glitz sky-high towers. However, the real heart of Dubai is always the Creek
(Travel Agents, 2019). . The original site considered to have been the Bani Yas settlement is the
saltwater estuary. The waters of the estuary were significant in the economy of Dubai which used
to be fishing and pearl diving. However, today the area is full of emirate history, home to Dubai
Museum, and the labyrinthine alleyways of specie, gold as well as textile souks (Tscheu, &
Buhalis, 2016.).
Case study of London
London is located on the southern part of England with river Thames dividing the city into two
(Smailes, 2017). Besides, London is the most urbanized as well as the capital of the United
Kingdom. The city covers a remarkable 1,579 square km at a geographical coordinates of
51.5074o North and 0.1278o to the West thus bordering cities such as city of Bath, Brighton,
Cambridge, Canterbury, Oxford, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Stratford, Winchester, and Windsor
(Chorley, 2019) . Although, London is 21st century city, its history dates back to the Roman
times. Besides, the city is considered flat since the city was constructed on a flood plain of River
Thames.
According to World Population Survey (2019), Greater London had a population of 8,787,892 as
at 2016. The Metropolitan area of London however is estimated to have a population between 10
to 18 million people making London to be the most populated city in the United Kingdom and
the entire European Union at large. Ethnic comparison of the entire United Kingdom holds that
86% of the population is whites while non-whites account for only 14%. However, the number is
much lower in London with only 69.7% of the population being white. British citizens who

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compose the majority descended from varied groups like the Britons (Celtics), the Germans, the
Danes, Normans, and other groups. Britons were the earliest occupants followed by Germans
who founded the modern England. However, it is the Romans who founded London in 50 AD.
Moreover, London has diverse religious beliefs such as Muslims, Buddhists, Hindu, and Jewish.
Christians form the majority at 48.4%, Muslim 12.39, Hindu 5%, Jewish 1.82, Sikh 1.5%, and
Buddhists 1% while the rest constitute 0.6%.Besides, men account for 48% while female is 52%
of the total population.
The city of London mostly experiences marine time type of climate due to the influence of
Atlantic Ocean and river Thames. As a result, the city experiences cool, humid, and rainy
climate. Atlantic fronts varies the weather of the city with cloudiness, showers, and rains
alternating in summer and winter with the area to experiencing only a few hours of sunshine.
London temperatures are higher than other areas within United Kingdom due to relative shelter
along London basin which is situated between the hills of Chiltern and North Downs in the north
and south respectively (Cosgrove & Jackson, 2015).However, the temperature falls in winter
when there are high pressure causing night fogs and thermal inversions. The average temperature
during winter is 5 ºC with frequent rainfalls. In periods of Atlantic currents, the average
temperature ranges between 12ºC and 13ºC. However, between June and August, London
experiences the warmest temperature than any other region in the entire United Kingdom with
the highest temperature being at 23ºC while lowest stand at 14ºC.Therefore, the best time to visit
London is from mid-May to mid-September. Summer has good weather of warm days with the
maximum temperature above 25 °C. Besides, July and August experiences more hours of
sunshine.
London as a Tourist and Holidaymakers Destination

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London is the second most visited city across the globe after Bangkok with a total of 19.8 million
visitors a year (Ferro, 2018). There are several factors and amenities that attract tourist,
holidaymakers as well as business travelers to London. Being the epitome of modernization,
London has among the best and most luxurious hotels in the world offering both five-star
experiences and leisured lifestyle. Besides, London is a modern city offering cosmopolitan
lifestyle with diverse culture and religions. London offer some of the finest things tourists and
holidaymakers love to enjoy like the sunbathing particularly during summer when the
temperatures are appealing for outdoor activities (Euromonitor, 2018). Also, London has an
array of major events and activities like Paralympics and football. For example, the London
Olympics is a global event that brings many people to come and participate. Fans and supporters
come along to give solidarity and support to their teams an act which is significant in attracting
tourists some of whom pledge to come back. Also, London is the home to some of the world’s
greatest football clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, and Totenham Hotspurs who have been pivotal in
attracting football fans to come and watch their favorite clubs thus promoting tourism
(Numerato, 2018).
Moreover, United Kingdom has a friendly tourism policy towards visitors. The government’s
policy is crucial in encouraging overseas visitors. Key provisions of the policy compels the
government to strengthen collaboration and co-ordination in tourism sector. As a consequence,
the policy has changed the landscape of tourism in London, supported business and skills,
reduced regulation thus promoting growth of tourism. Furthermore, the policy has led to the
growth of transport networks and hubs that enable tourism across the United Kingdom thus
improving border services so that arrivals are better managed.

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In addition, London has symbolic elements most of which visitors love to view or know more
about. For example, the Royal Family, Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter and
Downtown Abbey. Also, London has rich heritage, museums, and contemporary culture which
are interesting to tourists and holidaymakers especially the Buckingham Palace, Chatworth
House located in the Peak District and Edinburgh Castle (Smailes, 2017). These sites are very
attractive due to the fact that theyare home to some of the places that offer bird’s eye view of the
capital like Shard and London eye. The city of London is the ceremonial county in London
making what is referred to as the city within a city. This area is placed at the heart of River
Thames. Even though the area is just 1 mile square in landmass, it contains most of the loved
attractions in England such as the London Tower, The Bank of England Museum, Tower
Bridge, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Centre of Barbican. Elizabeth Tower also known as Big
Ben is another popular feature located in the north-end of the Westminster. The tower is a 315
feet, 16 storey house offering different facilities and activities. The clock tower is among the
significant symbols of the United Kingdom. Moreover, London has a number of Royal parks.
These parks were formally used as hunting grounds, but have since been availed for the public.
Examples include St. James Park, Bushy Park, Green Park, Kensington Gardens, Richmond
Park, Regent’s Park, Hyde Park, and Greenwich Park. Also notable is the Tram system which is
the largest and oldest in the world dating back to early times of Victoria (Bærenholdt, Haldrup,
&Urry, 2017).Also, black cab with its iconic beauty is common around London. Still, boats
activities along the canals an river Thames are also known to attract tourist. It is worth noting
that buildings in London have no specific architectural design due to their diversity.
Comparing and contrasting Dubai and London

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Comparatively, Dubai and London have many similarities and differences. First, the Dubai
Opera is considered to be located “Opera District” thereby offering Dubai with an enticing
schedule that can be associated to London’s Manhattan’s Broadway. Besides, with views of
the Dubai Fountain view built close to Burj Khalifa, a building considered to have been inspired
by the Arabian Dhow ships shape. Furthermore, the building’ rear arches upwards like a hull as
well as used as a foyer, car park as well as taxi rank and. Moreover, the stage area of Burj
Khalifa is designed in a way that it can easily be transformed into theatre, hall or concert hall.
Secondly, both are famous cities which people prefer visiting with London receiving 19.8
million visits while Dubai receives 15.8 million visits per year (Euromonitor, 2018).
Moreover, both London and Dubai have a lot of activities loved by tourists such as
transportation, sun bathing, and racing. Furthermore, both London and Dubai have different
places to visit though London has more due to her development and age. Also, the two cities lack
mountains in the nearby. London is situated along the lowlands of River Thames while Dubai is
situated in the heart of Arabian Desert with no visible mountains nearby. Since both are modern
cities, they have modern Hotels and Restaurants with varied five-star facilities from which
holidaymakers and tourists can choose from. The architectural design in Dubai is mostly Arabic
while London has no specific design due to the diversity in the city. Both are multicultural cities.
Culture of Dubai has been influenced by the presence of different Nationalities residing in the
city while London as a city has many foreigners who come to do business, work, or live all of
whom have had influenced on the way of life of the city .
On the other hand, Dubai and London have several differences. London and Dubai have disparity
in their weather. The weather of London is always cold with lots of fog and snow falls while
Dubai is relatively hot with high temperatures in a day. Average daily temperature for Dubai is

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22.3⁰C while London is 7.5⁰C.Besides, buildings in London have no specific architectural design
due to their diversity while in Dubai the buildings have Arabic design. Dubai is crossed by the
tropic of cancer thus receives more sunlight than London which only receives sunlight for a few
hours. Thus tourists in Dubai are likely to enjoy themselves more in a day as compared to in
London. Also, lack of authenticity and culture in Dubai makes it a great place to live if you're a
fan of the contrived, artificial, superficial and materialistic. Dubai is about making money; it's
transient and soulless. London, by contrast, is rich in history and culture and diversity, not to
mention much more free and open.
Furthermore, Dubai is only for millionaires and billionaires but London is for everyone.
Precisely, average daily expenditure in London is $153 per day compared to Dubai’s $537 per
day (Ferro, 2018). Besides, London has more airports than Dubai making air transportation to
London and within the city to be higher as compared to Dubai. As a result, a tourist is likely to
visit many places in London as compared to Dubai. Furthermore, London has more big sport
facilities than Dubai with London having 13 compared to 1 for Dubai. The facilities include
Stadiums and Arenas. Dubai has seaside beaches such as Jumeirah Beach while London does
not.
Conclusion
Although London and Dubai have several similarities, the differences far outweigh the
similarities. As a result, tourists and holidaymakers can visit Dubai at any time of the year
compared to London where temperature is always low thus discouraging other visitors especially
from the tropical lands who are unlikely to visit London during winter. The absence of no
dominant nationality in Dubai makes the place even more attractive compared to London where
Whites dominate other nationals. As a consequence, it fun visiting Dubai than London.

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