Mention Dubai and most people are likely to have a fuzzy idea of its proximity - somewhere in the Middle East. Yet that answer betrays the crux of a problem: most Hong Kong people do not perceive the emirate as a leisure destination because they associate it with an unstable region of the world.
Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Dubai prides itself on being one of the safest places anywhere. The well-being of visitors is of paramount importance to the government, and yet the police presence is discreet: not many officers are in evidence (except occasionally in the vicinity of the gold souk), but there is a distinct sense that one can walk the streets with little concern.
Throw in year-round sunshine, mild winters, miles of clean beaches, fabulous golfing facilities, shopping till you drop, mountains and the desert a short drive away, and Dubai becomes an unbeatable, off-the-beaten-track, destination.
And destination it has to be, because the emirate, unlike Bangkok for example, is not a short-haul flight away. It can take eight hours, depending on your airline.
Billing itself as a blend of old and new, east and west, Dubai is in the process of reinventing itself as a major tourist hub and a regional financial centre, says Hamad Mohammed bin Mejren, manager, missions, of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. 'Sheikh Rashid, father of the present ruler, realised the oil would not last indefinitely and set about reducing Dubai's dependence upon it. His third son, Sheikh Mohammed, has set about developing the emirate as a hub of tourism and trade,' he says.
Last year, oil revenues contributed to only six per cent of GDP, while tourism accounted for 14 per cent. Dubai is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa. This makes it ideal for business and pleasure, Mr Mejren says.
