Emirates' Al Maha Desert Resort has been highlighted as an outstanding case study in the blueprint for future tourism, recently released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
The Emirates Group is also promoting similar projects in Australia by launching a resort there.
Along with Al Maha Desert Resort, India's Taj Hotels, Qatar Tourism Authority, Mexico Tourism Board and the Intercontinental Hotels Group are also featured in the list of case studies.
Case studies released by the WTTC answer directly to this call and are an important first step in the Council's aim to promote public and private synergy in sustainable travel and tourism development worldwide.
"From 2005 onwards, WTTC will attract examples of case studies from around the world, and with the help of select judges, we will reward and promote the world's leading examples through our new 'tourism for tomorrow' awards programme," said Jean-Claude Baumgarten, WTTC president.
In its comments on the Al Maha Resort, the WTTC justified its selection as a case study and said: "In 1997, Emirates' destination and leisure management began the development of a resort that would provide visitors with the ability to experience overnight visits into the Dubai desert.
"In 1999, in conjunction with a programme to reintroduce indigenous wildlife, Al Maha resort opened, and it remains the only resort where visitors may experience the desert and naturally occurring wildlife in the Gulf.
"As the importance of travel and tourism within Dubai's economy grows, it has been vital to consider at the same time, the environmental and socio-cultural impacts of the sector.
"In response to Dubai's rapid rise in popularity as a leisure destination, the increasing awareness of environmental issues and the growth in urban populations, a detailed report was submitted to the government in 2001 by the management of the Al Maha Desert Resort.
The report outlined the dangers of unchecked tourism development in Dubai and resulted in the designation of a Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, comprising 4.7 per cent of the emirate's land area with $7 million from the government of Dubai.
"Unlike many regions where largely unpopulated land areas exist as wildlife conservation areas, Dubai does not have the luxury of such size and space in which to segregate completely the functions of conservation and tourism.
"The reserve is therefore divided into four zones, the first allowing no human interference, the second where interference is limited to infrastructure to support conservation, the third that allows the development of low environmental impact developments, such as Al Maha, and the fourth for safari operators and camel and desert farms.
"Although the costs of repairing severely damaged habitats are high, and sometimes prohibitively so for governments, the Dubai government, by recognising and acting early in protecting this location has avoided such consequences.
"Emirates, in turn, through recognition of the profile of this conservation work, and its contribution to tourism in Dubai, provided the essential funding to set up and maintain this area as a core value of the organisation.
"Revenues generated from safari operators in Al Maha and the DDCR are used to ensure the sustainable commercial running of the resort, while all entrance fees are held locally for the development and management of conservation work in the area," WTTC said.
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