DUBAI BREAKS VISITORS RECORD

Dubai last year attracted a record number of over 13 million visitors...

This emirate has now become a champion of the growth of the tourism sector. Total of 13.2 million foreigners visited Dubai last year, which is an increase of 8.2 percent compared to last year. They hope that by 2020 they will have around 20 million tourists a year, since then is held the World Exhibition in this city.

The figures presented in March of this year show that Dubai had 9.8 percent more compared to the 6.5 billion Euros that were earned last year. This is the best annual result of Dubai since the global financial crisis of 2009.

Turmoil in other, traditional tourist destinations of the Middle East is what travelers from abroad focused in Dubai and given them the opportunity to earn such a reputation as a very safe place for tourists and business.

The economy of Dubai has experienced a decline of 2.4 percent in 2009, when the global debt crisis has shaken the whole world. Thereafter, Dubai from Abu Dhabi received 10 billion Euros for the restructuring and repayment of debts and since then, the growth of the city does not stop.

Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe hotel

Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe hotel – Pure Parisian chic

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AZERBAIJAN - Land of Fire and Design

Neither Europe nor Asia, Azerbaijan is an incredible tangle of contradictions and contrasts.

  Refusing someone offering you tea is a strong indicator you don’t like that person. When receiving a gift, you’re supposed to refuse a few times before actually taking it. If you’re offering a present, insist by all means. Remove your shoes upon entering and don’t display the soles of your feet. Don’t even think about crossing your legs! Avoid chewing gum, pointing fingers and randomly touching people. They don’t appreciate it. Also, never, ever, mention Armenians. You can’t possibly imagine the reactions you’ll get.

It’s a fascinating nexus of ancient historical empires. Yet it’s also a new nation finding its feet as it emerges from a war-torn post-Soviet chrysalis on a petroleum-funded gust of optimism. Surrounded by semi-desert on the oil-rich Caspian Sea, the nation’s cosmopolitan capital Baku is a dynamic boomtown, where flashy limousines and mushrooming skyscrapers sweep around a picturesque Unesco-listed ancient core. Yet barely three hours’ drive away lies an entirely different world: 

Timeless villages clad in lush orchards from which shepherd tracks lead into the soaring high Caucasus mountains. Where Baku is multilingual and go-ahead, the provinces shuffle to the gently paced click of nard (backgammon) on tree-shaded teahouse terraces: women stay home, herds of cattle wander aimlessly across highways, and potbellied bureaucrats scratch their heads in confusion on finding that an outsider has wandered into their territory.