I've complained more than a few times in posts here about unbalanced over-the-top media stories about Dubai, both pro and anti.
A few years ago it was all 'The Miracle of Dubai' stuff. That was from journos flown in for a couple of days, put up in 5-star hotels, whisked around from one 5-star facility to another.
They returned the favour by hyperventilating about the place, with way over-the-top and often ludicrous articles.
It inevitably attracted an equally unbalanced reaction, the 'Dark Side of Dubai' stories, all about slave labour, chain gangs, fleeing expats and the city being reclaimed by the desert.
Now we've gone full circle with a new story in the UK Daily Telegraph from the 'Miracle of Dubai' folder.
Here's a sample:
What to do this morning? Hmmm. Let's head for the slopes and a black ski run and some tobogganing. Always an exciting, bracing way to start the day.
This afternoon? Shopping at the world's finest stores or a spot of sun-bathing and a swim with dolphins? Spoilt for choice.
Later on, some quad-bike racing and a 4x4 safari through scorching sand dunes stretching into the mists of time. Sounds good.
And what better way to end the perfect day than a candle-lit river cruise with as much wine as you can drink to compliment a gastronomic five-course feast after flying a sea-plane past the world's tallest building.
Unless, of course, you fancy a romantic, balmy, moonlit early hours walk along your private beachfront, dipping your toes in the Gulf of Arabia.
And there's the clue. Because where else in the world could you be but... Dubai.
And if you should ever see the slogan: "See Dubai Before You Die"...
Groan...
Stand by for the reaction pieces.
Read it and cringe.
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4 comments:
I feel that media coverage goes in waves and the herd mentality takes over, both good and bad. When Dubai was the center of travel attention, everybody was jumping on the band wagon.
Now that the economic hardship has hit everywhere, including Dubai, the media hounds are having a feast day writing about doomsday predictions, etc... My advice, just wait a while and the news 'winds of change' will shift in an entirely different direction.
"Unless, of course, you fancy a romantic, balmy, moonlit early hours walk along your private beachfront, dipping your toes in the Gulf of Arabia."
Don't get too romantic .... it might backfire.
This is either a paid piece done on behalf of Dubai Tourism or an attempt to be ironic.
Sorry but those are the only two things I can think of after reading this piece.
Looking at the bright side, it seems the Tourism dept again has enough money to pay the so-called journalists to write glowing reports on Do-Buy. Hope the Western Tourists are as gullible as they were before.
Anon@4.42 these pieces are paid for really - the journos get a few fully paid luxury days in Dubai. In return they feel obliged to write stuff like this. I wish they'd keep it less gushing though.
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