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Fujairah: Some stunning destinations on the east coast are driving a tourism boom and the emirate of Fujairah is beautifully placed to cash in.
With strategically located coastal stretches in Khor Fakkan and Kalba, Sharjah is also emerging as a first rate destination.
With its long stretches of white sandy beaches, a pristine lake and the Qaram nature reserve, Kalba, a short drive west of Fujairah, is also not short of attractions.
Over the years, an ever-increasing number of visitors from other emirates have found the meeting place of the Hajar Mountains and the Indian Ocean an uplifting getaway on their weekends and public holidays.
Almost 30 years ago, Gulf News featured the holiday account of a family from Dubai taking a weekend break in what was at the time the little known emirate of Fujairah.
Perspective shift
Abdul Qudoos Khan, the longest serving employee at the Fujairah Hilton, gives us a perspective on how times have changed since 1977 when he took up a job at the five-star hotel.
"To get here from the other emirates, visitors had to negotiate a narrow single-lane road with no lights and there were very few buildings to greet those who made the trip.
"Even then we had expatriate visitors from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, much like we have now, and over the years many have become regular guests."
Abdul Qudoos recalls how the hotel was often forced to take into account cheap accommodation offered by local residents and how the picture had completely changed since then.
A perceived shortage of decent boarding places combined with the immense tourism potential of the area helped draw in major investments and Fujairah offers a choice of plenty when it comes to tourist accommodation.
Raza Abbas, business development executive at Fujairah Hilton, says weekend visitors make up an important part of the tourism sector of the east coast.
He said: "Many visitors arrive on Thursday evening and spend their time in their own different ways; there are those who prefer to make the most of what is on offer within the confines of the hotel and there are those who like to explore the outdoors."
International visitors prefer longer stays, Raza says, reflecting on the variety of visitors.
Visitors who used to frequent the east coast long before the exclusive resorts sprung up have mixed feeling about the pace of development the area has witnessed.
Sanu Mathew is a Dubai-based electrical engineer who has been a regular weekend visitor to the east coast for four years.
Sanu and his young family enjoy the views of the beaches and mountains and are also keen to make the best of what the resorts have to offer. He said: "We like the calm, slow pace of life here which is a great contrast to Dubai. The kids like the beaches which are cleaner and I hope they will remain the same."
Exclusivity factor
"There are many top-class hotels which are a welcome addition but I think it's a shame that some areas have become a little bit exclusive and inaccessible to regular visitors.
Siby Joseph, a project manager, also from Dubai, agrees that the popularity of the east coast could fade if not managed properly.
Joseph has been a regular weekend visitor for ten years and says that despite getting progressively crowded and expensive, the east coast is still a good getaway. "There are so many places to see and the area is very beautiful but there is still plenty of room for improvement, like redevelop the roads in some areas and upgrading facilities on some popular beaches."
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