With the Eid Al Fitr and the UAE National Day holidays fast approaching, people in Fujairah and the East Coast have started making plans.
They said they are not planning to spend the days on the East Coast because the area needs more recreational facilities. Fujairah, Kalba, Khor Fakkan and Dibba have beautiful beaches that have not been exploited yet. They claimed that the 70-km-long beach of the East Coast needs more restaurants, toilets and other services.
Stefan Rosenkranz, a German project manager at a government factory in Fujairah, said there are not many places for a visitor to see in Fujairah, except for the museum and some archeological sites.
"When the weather turns colder during this time of the year, we think twice before we go out of the house. There are no parks to sit and enjoy the weather in Fujairah. We don't have even one park in Fujairah and the municipality is the only authority to blame.
"The tables built by the municipality near the Fujairah Hilton are bad and do not attract visitors. The area is also dusty. Besides, there are not many restaurants that serve international cuisine."
When Rosenkranz gets bored, he goes to the Rugby Sports Club or to the Fujairah International Marine Club to meet friends.
Maria Gemma Idos, a Filipina secretary, said Fujairah enjoys good weather throughout the year and the emirate has potential for tourism, but more work needs to be done to boost its infrastructure.
"We have lots of supermarkets and hypermarkets, but we don't have even one shopping mall where one can find international restaurants like those in Sharjah and Dubai. People will not enjoy shopping if there are no places to rest and have a quick snack."
She used to live in Dubai and wonders why Fujairah is not imitating Dubai by having more recreational facilities. "I like to walk on the beach and I think of inviting my friends from Dubai to spend a day or two in Fujairah, but I hesitate because I am sure that they will get bored here."
Idos said when she walks on the beach, she cannot find any restaurant or a soft drink vending machine. She cannot even find a public toilet or rest house to wash up. She said Fujairah's beaches need more facilities such as parks and some showers for swimmers.
The Corniche and famous tourist places such as the Ain Al Ghumour hot spring and Al Wareiyah Waterfalls must be improved by carrying out promotional campaigns and setting up transport facilities. Fujairah Airport must also be improved.
Javith Basha, an Indian production engineer in a government company, said the unique natural beauty of the emirate must be exploited by the government if they want to attract more visitors.
"We need to ensure a balance between the emirate's infrastructure and the inflow of tourists. New parks and three and four-star hotels are needed in the city to attract visitors who cannot afford five-star hotels. More shopping malls and amusement centres are also needed. The Fujairah Government has to cooperate with local businessmen and private companies and improve the infrastructure."
Zakaria Hamdan Twet, a Syrian finance manager at a government establishment, said: "Many people in Fujairah don't know if there is a Corniche or not. We have a nice Corniche, but it is deserted because there is nothing there. If you are hungry you cannot find a restaurant or a cafeteria. There is no public washroom either."
He said his relatives in Dubai refuse to visit him, claiming there are no recreational facilities.
"The city needs more hotels and residential flats that can absorb visitors who stay overnight. We also need several amusement centres, parks for children to play and rest houses along the beach. Also, there should be emergency and first-aid centres along the East Coast."
Joey Aquino, a Filipino shopkeeper, said Fujairah needs more green areas and Fujairah Municipality should work harder to plant more trees and construct parks in the city.
"We don't know where to take our children during holidays when they get bored, as there are no parks in the city for them to play. Like most Fujairah residents, we go to Kalba or Khor Fakkan to spend our holidays where children can play on the grass and swim."
Tourists are rarely to be seen in Fujairah. "We need new restaurants and amusement facilities, especially on the Corniche which must be provided with outlets, shops, public toilets and greenery areas."
Priya Venkatesh, an Indian Executive Secretary, said: "Our beautiful beaches need to have more green areas, more parks for children, chalets for visitors to stay overnight, places for picnickers to camp and prepare barbecues, and public toilets."
The authorities should upgrade tourism to provide residents with new facilities and recreational centres where they can enjoy their holidays rather than driving towards Sharjah or Dubai, which become crowded during vacations and weekends.
Shankar Bharadwaj, director of sales and marketing at a five-star hotel, said: "Our tourism experts in Fujairah need to have new plans to focus on Fujairah and to bring tourists to Fujairah directly, not through Dubai. And for this, our infrastructure and services must be developed to make visitors feel comfortable."
He said the Fujairah Government should provide the municipality with enough funds and give it a free hand to improve the city and set up other facilities such as parks, playgrounds and recreational and amusement centres.
He said tourism in Fujairah will not improve and tourists will not be seen in the city "unless we upgrade the infrastructure and build more facilities."
"While improving the infrastructure of the city, Fujairah can be promoted again, not only as an important venue for diving and other water sports, but also as a unique place with hot water springs and waterfalls."
Alaa A. Naqawa, a Syrian assistant personnel manager at a leading hotel in Fujairah, said most families from Dubai and Abu Dhabi who stay at their hotel look for new places of entertainment to enjoy the weekend with their children.
"Fujairah lacks many entertainment facilities. It needs more promotion, but plans should be drawn up to upgrade the emirate's infrastructure and establish more recreational facilities, shopping malls and fun cities."
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