{"id":35827,"date":"2025-11-07T06:25:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T06:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/?p=35827"},"modified":"2025-11-07T07:08:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T07:08:21","slug":"dubais-desert-luxury-boom-upscale-safaris-glam-camping-and-stargazing-draw-returning-travelers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/07\/dubais-desert-luxury-boom-upscale-safaris-glam-camping-and-stargazing-draw-returning-travelers\/","title":{"rendered":"Dubai\u2019s \u2018desert luxury\u2019 boom: upscale safaris, glam camping, and stargazing draw returning travelers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Ultra luxurious experiences and sporting events are becoming increasingly popular among tourists coming to Dubai. Travel experts say that they are also periodically varying their offerings to cater to repeat customers.<\/p>

According to Shahab Shayan from Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, visitors are now looking to explore the deserts of the emirate in a more intimate fashion and with VIP amenities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\u201cFor instance, Platinum Heritage highlights the authentic desert experience,\u201d he explained. \u201cThey emphasize traditional activities like falconry and camel rides. Guests relax in tents while savoring Emirati dishes. It offers a more immersive and cultural experience. Desert glamping is gaining huge popularity, allowing us to present the desert\u2019s charm in a more refined and luxurious manner.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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He was speaking on the sidelines of the\u00a0World Travel Market (WTM)<\/a>\u00a0that began in London on Tuesday. Dubai is participating with 71 partners.<\/p>

His observations were echoed by service providers as well.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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\u201cWe offer exclusive, small-scale desert safari camps designed for families and VIP guests,\u201d said Chris Farrell, Director of Sales at Desert Adventures Tourism. \u201cDubai sees a lot of repeat visitors, many of whom seek unique experiences. Our approach is to provide the classic safari but with unexpected touches along the way.\u201d<\/p>

He added that stargazing has become a favorite addition, enhancing the desert adventure. \u201cWe sometimes bring in an astronomer to guide guests through the constellations. These little surprises are inexpensive yet add a fresh, memorable layer to an experience they may have already enjoyed.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Chris highlighted that sports tourism is also expanding quickly in Dubai.<\/p>

\u201cTake golf tourism, for instance\u2014it\u2019s especially popular with visitors from the UK,\u201d he explained. \u201cEvery November, we host the DP World Tour Championship, giving tourists the chance to watch top golfers in action. The following day, they can play on the same course themselves. We aim to offer experiences that set us apart.\u201d<\/p>

He added that his company has seen a 40% year-on-year rise in golf tourists since 2021. Last year, Desert Adventures Tourism welcomed over 9,000 visitors to Dubai for various sporting events, including F1 races, golf tournaments, marathons, and even chess competitions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Adam El-Masri, Market Manager for the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia at Arabian Adventures, stated that visitors to the UAE prioritize getting value for their spend.<\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019re noticing a diverse range of tourists,\u201d he said. \u201cSome seek ultra-luxury experiences, such as chartering a yacht, while others prefer more mainstream options. Regardless of their choice, all travelers are focused on ensuring they receive good value for their money.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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This is why Dubai\u2019s Department of Economy and Tourism is highlighting hotels that provide excellent value. \u201cA major focus for us is on three-star properties that deliver service on par with five-star standards,\u201d he explained. \u201cTake, for instance, a hotel like Rove La Mer, which offers beach access. Compared to typical three-star hotels worldwide, it\u2019s extremely competitive in terms of pricing, room size, and the quality of hospitality provided.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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He mentioned that the UAE has 812 hotels offering more than 150,000 rooms. This year, the average occupancy rate stands at approximately 78%, marking a 2% rise compared to last year.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Dubai is redefining desert travel with its \u2018desert luxury\u2019 trend, offering elite safaris, glamorous camping, fine dining, and stargazing experiences that captivate and attract repeat visitors seeking exclusive desert adventures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35830,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"post_template":[],"top_category":[],"class_list":["post-35827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35827"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35841,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35827\/revisions\/35841"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35827"},{"taxonomy":"post_template","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_template?post=35827"},{"taxonomy":"top_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insider18.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/top_category?post=35827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}